[4][5] McKinley was born in Adams, New York, and attended Dartmouth College.

[2][6] At the age of 17 he was an actor, director and writer at a summer stock theater in Buffalo, New York.

[2] In 1967, McKinley was elected as a member for the newly established 118th district of the Florida House of Representatives.

[4] He was succeeded by Donald E. Heath in 1968[4] after he decided not to seek re-election because of ill-health.

[7][8] McKinley died in October 1972 of a heart attack at his summer home, at the age of 74.