Mississippi’s ‘education governor,’ William Winter, dies
Mississippi’s ‘education governor,’ William Winter, dies
Winter
Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, who championed education initiatives, job creation, and racial harmony throughout his life, died Friday Dec. 18, 2020, at age 97.
Known as Mississippi’s Education Governor, Winter secured passage of landmark educational initiatives in 1982 bringing kindergartens, compulsory school attendance, and a range of other key reforms to a state plagued by poverty and illiteracy. During his remarkable 75 years of public service, Winter linked education with economic development in the nation’s poorest state, observing, “The road out of the poor house, runs past the school house.”
Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter dead at 97
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Dec. 19 (UPI) Former Mississippi governor William Winter died Friday. He was 97.
Winter, a Democrat who served as the state s governor from 1980 to 1984, is remembered as a crusader for public education and civil rights.
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Winter helped push through the state s Education Reform Act in 1982, which brought kindergartens, compulsory school attendance and numerous other key reforms to a state that had long struggled with poverty and poor educational outcomes.
After his political career ended, he continued to fight for funding for the Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights museums, which opened to the public in 2017.
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
JACKSON, Miss. – Former Mississippi Gov, William Winter, a crusader for public education and racial harmony, has died. He was 97.
Winter died Friday night at his home in Jackson.
Winter served as governor from 1980 to 1984, and in 1982 ushered the passage of the Education Reform Act, the state s first comprehensive education overhaul.
Asked about his legacy by the Clarion-Ledger, Winter said: In general terms, I have tried to use the opportunities I have had to make this a better place than when I came along. We are all in this together.
For more than 50 years, Winter served as a member of the Mississippi State Department of Archives and History’s board of trustees, and he was instrumental in the founding of the Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi.
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Former Gov. William Winter died at age 97.
Editor’s note: This obituary was provided to Mississippi Today by the family of Gov. William Winter and was written by longtime family friend David Crews.
JACKSON Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, who championed education initiatives, job creation and racial harmony throughout his life, died Friday at age 97.
Known as Mississippi’s Education Governor, Winter secured passage of landmark educational initiatives in 1982 bringing kindergartens, compulsory school attendance, and a range of other key reforms to a state plagued by poverty and illiteracy. During his remarkable 75 years of public service, Winter linked education with economic devel