William J. McCoy (Mississippi politician)
{{Short description|American politician (1942–2019)}}
{{For|others with a similar name|William McCoy (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = William J. McCoy
| office = 60th Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives
| image = House Speaker Billy McCoy.jpg
| caption = McCoy in 2011
| term_start = January 6, 2004
| term_end = January 3, 2012
| predecessor = Tim Ford
| successor = Philip Gunn
| state_house1 = Mississippi
| district1 = 3rd
| term_start1 = January 1980
| term_end1 = January 3, 2012
| predecessor1 = Don Chambliss{{Cite journal|last=Mississippi. Legislature|date=1976-01-01|title=Hand book : biographical data of members of Senate and House, personnel of standing committees [1976]|url=https://egrove.olemiss.edu/sta_leghb/14|journal=Mississippi Legislature Hand Books}}
Ralph H. Doxey
Gene Manning
| successor1 = William Tracy Arnold
| birth_date = August 14, 1942
| birth_place = Booneville, Mississippi, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|11|12|1942|8|14}}
| death_place = Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater = Northeast Mississippi Community College
Mississippi State University
}}
William J. McCoy (August 14, 1942 – November 12, 2019) was an American farmer and Democratic politician from Rienzi, Mississippi. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the State of Mississippi.
Background
McCoy was born August 14, 1942, in Booneville, attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College, and graduated from Mississippi State University. He has worked as a vocational agriculture teacher and as a loan officer for the Farmers Home Administration, as well as a school auditor for the Mississippi State Department of Audit. He also farmed.{{cite web|title=Representative William J. 'Billy' McCoy (MS)|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=69853|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=December 18, 2010}}
House of Representatives
McCoy became a member of the House in 1980, and was elected Speaker in 2004. In 2008, he faced (and beat) a challenge by conservative fellow Democrat, later Republican Jeff Smith of Columbus, who was supported by the Republicans in the House and by Republican governor Haley Barbour.{{cite news|title=McCoy wins 2nd term as Miss. House speaker over GOP vote|url=http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008/jan/09/mccoy-wins-2nd-term-miss-house-speaker-over-gop-vo/|work=The Natchez Democrat|agency=Associated Press|date=January 9, 2008|accessdate=December 18, 2010|archive-date=September 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904210121/http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008/jan/09/mccoy-wins-2nd-term-miss-house-speaker-over-gop-vo|url-status=dead}}
On May 25, 2011, McCoy announced that he would not seek re-election to the State House.[http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110525/NEWS/110525007/Speaker-McCoy-won-t-seek-re-election?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome "Speaker McCoy won't seek re-election"] Clarion-Ledger May 25, 2011
Personal life
McCoy married Edith Leatherwood. He was a Baptist, Freemason, and a member of the Farm Bureau. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Northeast Mississippi Community College.{{cite web|title=Mississippi House of Representatives William J. McCoy|url=http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/house/McCoy.xml|publisher=Mississippi House of Representatives|accessdate=December 18, 2010}} He died on November 12, 2019, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. He was 77 years old.{{cite news|last=Vance|first=Taylor|title=Billy J. McCoy, former Speaker of House, dies |url=https://www.djournal.com/news/local/billy-j-mccoy-former-speaker-of-house-dies/article_8c5a584b-36a2-59c7-a078-950b1222a50d.html|newspaper=Daily Journal |date= November 12, 2019|access-date=November 12, 2019}}
Sources
- [http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/house/McCoy.xml Home page]
- [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=69853 Project VoteSmart: "Representative William J. 'Billy' McCoy (MS)"]
References
{{Reflist}}
{{MS House Speakers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCoy, William J.}}
Category:Farmers from Mississippi
Category:Baptists from Mississippi
Category:Mississippi State University alumni
Category:People from Alcorn County, Mississippi
Category:People from Booneville, Mississippi
Category:Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives
Category:Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Mississippi Legislature
Category:20th-century Baptists
Category:20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature
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