William R Roy

William Robert Roy, known as Bill Roy, was a US representative from Kansas, a physician, and columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Born on February 23, 1926, in Bloomington, Illinois, he attended Illinois Wesleyan University and Northwestern University Medical School, earning his M.D. in 1949. He also obtained a J.D. from Washburn University Law School in 1970.

Roy served as a military doctor in the US Air Force at Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, rising to the rank of captain before practicing medicine there until 1970. He was elected to the US House of Representatives as a Democrat, serving from 1971 to 1975. In 1974, he switched his focus to running for the Senate against Bob Dole, whom he narrowly lost by a few thousand votes in a bitter race. He ran again in 1978 against Nancy Kassebaum and lost.

After leaving politics, Roy resumed his medical practice until 1989. He then became a columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal, writing from a liberal perspective on issues like abortion rights and opposition to President George W. Bush's policies. In 1990, he attempted another Senate race but withdrew due to personal issues.

Roy was a member of the Kansas Board of Regents and continued his column until his death on May 26, 2014, from congestive heart failure in Topeka, Kansas.