Walter J. McCoy served as the founding Dean of the School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University (1974- 1980).

During his appointment as Dean, McCoy has received recognition as an outstanding public administrator. Among these included being awarded the Outstanding Minority Public Administration’s Award, 1975. McCoy served on the Board f Directors of the National Association of School of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), Washington, D.C.

McCoy was selected to present a series of lectures in Europe in 1977, which marked the opening of a 40 day course of public administration for provincial officials at the London School of Economics, the Graduate School of Public Administration in Caserta Italy, and the officials in Reggio, Calabria. As a participant in the Caribbean-American Exchange Program sponsored by the Phelps-Stokes Fund, he presented a paper on “Educating and Training for the Public Service in the Caribbean.”

As an author, his publication(s) include The Central Black Business District; Can It Be Revived? Which was published in the 1978 November issue of the HUD Challenge Journal. Professor McCoy is the author of McCoy on Deed Restrictions, Zoning and Planning in the United States: Selected Readings and A Constitution Basis for Zoning: The Texas Supreme Court.

McCoy’s education background includes a B.A. from Huston Tilloston College (Austin, Texas), an M.A. Degree from Duquesne University, Pittsburg, PA, an M.P.A from the University of Pittsburg, an M.U.R.P. Degree from the University of Pittsburg, PA, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburg. Post Doctoral work at Harvard University Business School (I.E.M.). Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) at South Texas College of Law.

Since 1980, Professor McCoy has been a full-time faculty member in the areas of public administration and urban planning. His current teaching and research are in the areas of planning, zoning, deed restrictions, public administration and law at the Barbara Jordan George “Mickey” Leland School of Public Affairs.