lawyer, soldier, b. Kenosha. In 1876 his family settled in Sparta. He graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin (LL.B., 1891), was admitted to the bar, and set up a law practice in Sparta. He was county judge of Monroe County (1898-1914). Best known as a soldier and National Guardsman, McCoy served in the Spanish-American War (1898), was active in the Wisconsin National Guard after the war, and in 1909 was instrumental in establishing a federal military reservation near Sparta at the site of the present Camp McCoy. He participated in the Mexican Border Campaign of 1916, and during World War I served as colonel in command of the 4th Regiment Infantry of the Wisconsin National Guard. For his service in World War I, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and the French Croix de guerre. In 1919 he was promoted to brigadier general commanding the 64th Infantry Brigade, and in 1924 was made major general in command of the 32nd Division of the National Guard. R. A. Richards, ed., Hist. of Monroe Co. (Chicago, 1912); Milwaukee Sentinel, Jan. 6, 1926.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Robert B. McCoy Papers for details.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]