MS SC502

Former Governor William F. Winter passed away on December 18, 2021, at age 97, and the Legislature memorializes his legacy in public service and racial reconciliation.

Winter championed the Education Reform Act of 1982, which increased school funding, raised teacher pay, created a compulsory attendance law, established a school accountability system, and funded public kindergarten.

Winter served as Mississippi Governor from 1980-1984 and previously held offices as State Treasurer, Lieutenant Governor, Tax Collector, and Mississippi Legislature member.

Winter received numerous awards for his advocacy of racial reconciliation, including the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Award, and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at Ole Miss was named in his honor.

Winter was married to Elise Varner for 70 years and had three daughters, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; the resolution extends sympathy to his surviving family and directs the resolution be presented to them and forwarded to the State Board of Education and Mississippi Institute for Racial Reconciliation.