William R. Roy

William Robert Roy (February 23, 1926 – May 26, 2014), also known as Bill Roy, was a United States representative from Kansas, a physician, and a columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the Democratic nominee for U.S Senator from Kansas in the 1974 and 1978 senate elections, but lost both races.

Early life and career Roy was born in Bloomington, Illinois, and attended the public schools in nearby Lexington and earned a B.S. from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1945, followed by a B.M. from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago in 1948. He received an M.D. from Northwestern in 1949 as well as a J.D. from Washburn University Law School in Topeka, Kansas, in 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 ran for the U.S. Senate again in 1978 but lost to Nancy Kassebaum. He resumed the practice of medicine in Topeka until 1989. He sought a rematch with Kassebaum in 1990 and won the Democratic primary, but dropped out of the race, citing personal issues. His replacement was runner-up Dick Williams.

In addition to his political races, Roy served as a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. Since 1989, Roy was a regular columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal. His columns often reflected a liberal perspective, including support for abortion rights 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.

Roy died in Topeka on May 26, 2014, of congestive heart failure.