McCoy Administration Building (A Building)

Lee M. McCoy was born in Tippah County on May 30, 1882, and he was the youngest of nine children. His parents were former slaves, but he and his siblings were born post-slavery. McCoy attended Rust College and graduated in 1905. He became the eighth president in Rust College history, serving in that position for 33 years from 1924-1957. During his term in 1940, a tragic incident happened. On January 8, 1940, the principal building at the time, Rust Hall, burned down. The college suffered and felt a sense of loss. The loss also affected the community and they also felt that they should relocate the school. Rust Hall had been the centerpiece of the campus, holding the library, multiple classrooms, and dorms in it. But McCoy was determined to keep Rust College in the same location. He stayed and raised funds to build a new building. The cost of the new building that was built was estimated at $300,000. Once the building was complete, it was renamed after President McCoy.