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William Winter (politician)
Encyclopedia
William Forrest Winter is an American
politician from Mississippi
. He served as the 58th Governor of Mississippi from 1980 to 1984 as a Democrat. He is known for his strong support of public education, racial reconciliation, and historic preservation. Winter is best remembered for the passage of the Mississippi Education Reform Act. The law was the first serious attempt at improving state education in over 20 years and, among other things, established public kindergartens.
and the Ole Miss law school
, where he served as Editor of the Mississippi Law Journal
. During his time at Ole Miss
, he was an active member of the Phi Delta Theta chapter. During World War II
, Winter served in the United States Army
infantry in the Philippines
.
Winter first entered politics in 1947. While in law school, Winter was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives
. He was subsequently re-elected in 1951 and 1955. He served as Tax Collector of the State of Mississippi as well as State Treasurer. He ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1967 as a segregationist although one who wanted to focus on "bread-and-butter issues, not the old emotional ones—not racial issues." He eventually lost the bitterly contested race in the runoff to John Bell Williams
. He was then elected to and served as Lieutenant Governor from 1972 to 1976. He again lost the Democratic nomination for governor in 1975 to Cliff Finch
. He won the nomination in 1979, serving as governor form 1980 to 1984.
After finishing his term as governor, he unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate
against Republican incumbent Thad Cochran
.
William Winter currently practices law in the law firm of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A., based in Jackson, Mississippi
, the state's capital, with offices in Gulfport
and Olive Branch, Mississippi
. He was a member of President Clinton’s Advisory Board on Race
in 1997-1998. The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation on the University of Mississippi's Oxford campus is named in his honor, as is the William F. Winter Professorship in the Department of History.
In March 2008, he was given the Profile in Courage Award
by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for his work advancing education and racial reconciliation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. He served as the 58th Governor of Mississippi from 1980 to 1984 as a Democrat. He is known for his strong support of public education, racial reconciliation, and historic preservation. Winter is best remembered for the passage of the Mississippi Education Reform Act. The law was the first serious attempt at improving state education in over 20 years and, among other things, established public kindergartens.
Biography
He is a graduate of the University of MississippiUniversity of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
and the Ole Miss law school
University of Mississippi School of Law
The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law opened in 1854 and is the fourth-oldest state-supported law school in the country...
, where he served as Editor of the Mississippi Law Journal
Mississippi Law Journal
The Mississippi Law Journal is a law review published at the University of Mississippi School of Law. It was established in 1928 by the Mississippi Bar Association and is the state's longest running law review...
. During his time at Ole Miss
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, he was an active member of the Phi Delta Theta chapter. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Winter served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
infantry in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Winter first entered politics in 1947. While in law school, Winter was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
. He was subsequently re-elected in 1951 and 1955. He served as Tax Collector of the State of Mississippi as well as State Treasurer. He ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1967 as a segregationist although one who wanted to focus on "bread-and-butter issues, not the old emotional ones—not racial issues." He eventually lost the bitterly contested race in the runoff to John Bell Williams
John Bell Williams
John Bell Williams was an American Democratic politician who was governor of Mississippi from 1968 to 1972.-Biography:...
. He was then elected to and served as Lieutenant Governor from 1972 to 1976. He again lost the Democratic nomination for governor in 1975 to Cliff Finch
Cliff Finch
Charles Clifton "Cliff" Finch was an American politician who was 56th Governor of the U.S. state of Mississippi from 1976 to 1980.-Life and career:...
. He won the nomination in 1979, serving as governor form 1980 to 1984.
After finishing his term as governor, he unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
against Republican incumbent Thad Cochran
Thad Cochran
William Thad Cochran is the senior United States Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and was its chairman and 2005 to 2007.-Early life:He was born in Pontotoc,...
.
William Winter currently practices law in the law firm of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A., based in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, the state's capital, with offices in Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
and Olive Branch, Mississippi
Olive Branch, Mississippi
Olive Branch is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 21,054 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 31,830, making it the ninth-largest city in the state of Mississippi...
. He was a member of President Clinton’s Advisory Board on Race
One America Initiative
On June 14, 1997, U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton announced One America in the 21st Century: The President's Initiative on Race. This initiative, established with , was a critical element in President Clinton's effort to prepare his country to embrace diversity...
in 1997-1998. The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation on the University of Mississippi's Oxford campus is named in his honor, as is the William F. Winter Professorship in the Department of History.
In March 2008, he was given the Profile in Courage Award
Profile in Courage Award
The Profile in Courage Award is a private award given to recognize displays of courage similar to those John F. Kennedy described in his book Profiles in Courage...
by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for his work advancing education and racial reconciliation.