Bill Waller

Who was Bill Waller?

William Lowe "Bill" Waller, Sr. was an American politician. A Democrat, Waller served as the Governor of Mississippi from 1972 to 1976. During his military service he attained the rank of sergeant and was offered a commission in the Counter Intelligence Corps, but he declined being discharged on November 30, 1953. He returned to Jackson, Mississippi, to active Army Reserve duty under Colonel Purser Hewitt, and resumed his legal career. As a local prosecutor, he unsuccessfully prosecuted Byron De La Beckwith in the murder of civil rights advocate Medgar Evers. In 1994, De La Beckwith was found guilty of the murder.

In 1971, Waller defeated Lieutenant Governor Charles L. Sullivan in the Democratic primary run-off. His main opponent in the general election was Evers' brother, James Charles Evers, then the mayor of Fayette, who ran as an independent. Waller handily prevailed, 601,222 to Evers' 172,762.

Waller is credited with winning elections without using racially charged or racially offensive rhetoric.