Locality
Occupation
Biography
Growing up on her family’s Appomattox County farm, Ora Scruggs McCoy learned the value of hard work, integrity, and service to others. After graduating from Carver-Price High School, McCoy attended community college and joined the local post office. In 1975, she was appointed postmaster for Appomattox County, a position she held until retiring in 2002. On her family farm, she employs conservation measures to enhance the health and productivity of the land and forest. In 2021, McCoy was recognized as Farmer of the Year in Virginia by the National Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. McCoy served on the county’s school board from 1986 to 1994, led the Appomattox Voters League, and raised money for a community center. From 2004 to 2012, McCoy served on the Board of Historic Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia. During the Civil War Sesquicentennial, McCoy was instrumental in incorporating black history into local commemoration events and shared her family’s 50-pound iron bell, which had been owned by her enslaved great-grandparents, for National Park Service ceremonies. Currently, McCoy chairs the board of the Carver-Price Legacy Museum, which oversees the historical preservation of the school.
2023 Strong Men and Women in Virginia History honoree, Library of Virginia and Dominion Energy.