It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of former Mississippi Governor William Winter who at the time of his death was special counsel in the Government Relations Practice Group in the firm’s Jackson office. Gov. Winter passed away on Friday, December 18, at the age of 97.

Gov. Winter was a remarkable man who spent his career championing education initiatives, job creation, and racial harmony in the state of Mississippi. During his 75 years of public service, he linked education with economic development in the state and was responsible for the passage of landmark educational initiatives in 1982 bringing early education and key reforms to the state.

His career was spent advocating for racial reconciliation. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Gov. Winter stood in staunch opposition to the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens Councils — organizations which advocated for strict racial segregation, through violent means at times. He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve on the National Commission on Race where he expanded his work for racial harmony with the creation of the Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation.

Gov. Winter received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and is a Fellow of The Mississippi Bar Foundation. In 1998, he was the recipient of The Mississippi Bar’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

There will be no public memorial service until the spread of COVID-19 has subsided and it is safe to gather for a service. Only a private memorial service for the family will occur at this time. To read a recent news story about the remarkable life of Gov. Winter, please click here.  

Our deepest condolences go out to Gov. Winter’s wife and his entire family.