William R. Roy
Encyclopedia
William Robert Roy also known as Bill Roy, is a former United States Representative from Kansas
, a retired phyisician, and a columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal
.
public schools and earned a B.S.
from Illinois Wesleyan University
in 1945 as well as a B.M. from Northwestern University
Medical School in Chicago
in 1948. He received an M.D.
from the same university in 1949 as well as a J.D.
from Washburn University
Law School in Topeka, Kansas
, 1970. He did his obstetrics and gynecology residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital
. Roy served in the United States Air Force
from 1953 to 1955, and was a military doctor at Forbes Air Force Base
in Topeka; he was discharge
d with rank of captain.
He practiced medicine in Topeka from 1955 to 1970 and was elected as a Democrat
to the Ninety-second and Ninety-third Congresses (January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1975). He changed his registration in 1970 to run as a Democrat
.
He was not a House candidate in 1974 for reelection, but was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate
in that year; in a bitter race, he lost to Bob Dole
only by a few thousand votes. In a 1996 interview with PBS
, he explained his decision to seek election to the Senate, saying, "I was far from an admirer of Bob Dole, I'll tell you that. He'd been around and he had been pretty much a hatchet man, both in Kansas, and as far as President Nixon was concerned. And so I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to take him out of politics, which I thought was very important at that time." He ran for the U.S. Senate again in 1978 but lost to Nancy Kassebaum. He resumed the practice of medicine in Topeka until 1989 and is a resident of that city.
Since 1989, Roy has been a regular columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal
. His columns often reflect a liberal perspective, including support for abortion rights and opposition to the policies of President George W. Bush
. His 2001–2002 columns in The Topeka Metro News rallied sentiment to stop the sale of Kansas Blue Cross Blue Shield to Anthem
of Indianapolis (now merged into Wellpoint
).
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, a retired phyisician, and a columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal
The Topeka Capital-Journal
The Topeka Capital-Journal is a daily newspaper in Topeka, Kansas owned by Morris Communications. It has won one Pulitzer Prize.-History:...
.
Biography
He attended the Lexington, IllinoisLexington, Illinois
Lexington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census. There are two theories of its name. One says it was named for the Battle of Lexington, where General Gridley's father fought...
public schools and earned a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
in 1945 as well as a B.M. from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
Medical School in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1948. He received an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the same university in 1949 as well as a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Washburn University
Washburn University
Washburn University is a co-educational, public institution of higher learning in Topeka, Kansas, USA. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,400 undergraduate students and...
Law School in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, 1970. He did his obstetrics and gynecology residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital
Detroit Receiving Hospital
Detroit Receiving Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, is the state's first Level I Trauma Center. Receiving’s emergency department treats more than 105,000 patients annually, and nearly 60% of Michigan’s emergency physicians are trained at Receiving...
. Roy served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
from 1953 to 1955, and was a military doctor at Forbes Air Force Base
Forbes Air Force Base
Forbes Field, previously Forbes Air Force Base, is a joint-use civil-military airport operated by the Topeka Airport Authority located approximately south of Topeka, Kansas....
in Topeka; he was discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
d with rank of captain.
He practiced medicine in Topeka from 1955 to 1970 and was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Ninety-second and Ninety-third Congresses (January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1975). He changed his registration in 1970 to run as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
He was not a House candidate in 1974 for reelection, but was an unsuccessful candidate for election to 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...
in that year; in a bitter race, he lost to Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
only by a few thousand votes. In a 1996 interview with PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, he explained his decision to seek election to the Senate, saying, "I was far from an admirer of Bob Dole, I'll tell you that. He'd been around and he had been pretty much a hatchet man, both in Kansas, and as far as President Nixon was concerned. And so I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to take him out of politics, which I thought was very important at that time." He ran for the U.S. Senate again in 1978 but lost to Nancy Kassebaum. He resumed the practice of medicine in Topeka until 1989 and is a resident of that city.
Since 1989, Roy has been a regular columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal
The Topeka Capital-Journal
The Topeka Capital-Journal is a daily newspaper in Topeka, Kansas owned by Morris Communications. It has won one Pulitzer Prize.-History:...
. His columns often reflect a liberal perspective, including support for abortion rights and opposition to the policies of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. His 2001–2002 columns in The Topeka Metro News rallied sentiment to stop the sale of Kansas Blue Cross Blue Shield to Anthem
Anthem (insurance)
Anthem was an insurance company which began in the 1980s as a spin-off of the group insurance operations of American General Insurance. From its move to a publicly-traded company in 2001 until its final merger in 2004, it merged the Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations of several states to achieve...
of Indianapolis (now merged into Wellpoint
WellPoint
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health plan company in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It was formed when WellPoint Health Networks, Inc. merged into Anthem, Inc., with the surviving Anthem adopting the name, WellPoint, Inc...
).
External links
- Bill Roy's columns (labeled as a "blog") on The Topeka Capital-JournalThe Topeka Capital-JournalThe Topeka Capital-Journal is a daily newspaper in Topeka, Kansas owned by Morris Communications. It has won one Pulitzer Prize.-History:...
website