William J. McCoy (composer)

He was for many years the head of the composition and harmony departments at Mills College.

Born in Crestline, Ohio, McCoy grew up in California where he moved with his family at a young age.

He pursued further studies at the Leipzig Conservatory where he was a pupil of Carl Reinecke and Moritz Hauptmann.

[2] He was active for a time in San Francisco, California[3] and contributed music to events of the Bohemian Club.

[2] He was head of the composition and harmony departments at Mills College in Oakland, California; resigning from that post in 1925.

From left to right are composers Arne Oldberg , William J. McCoy, George W. Chadwick , Mabel Daniels , Charles Wakefield Cadman , and Carl Busch at the 1915 American Music Congress.