Born in Watertown, New York, on March 28, 1938, Arthur E. Williams obtained a commission as an Army engineer officer upon his graduation in 1960 from Saint Lawrence University, where he majored in mathematics. At St. Lawrence he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He later obtained a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in civil engineering and economic planning from Stanford University. After retiring from the Army, he joined Dawson & Associates in Washington, DC as a federal permitting advisor.