McCollum, Bill (1944-…), was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 2001. McCollum, a Republican, represented a district of Florida. In 2000, he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate but lost the election to his Democratic opponent.
During his service in the House, McCollum was a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chairman of its Subcommittee on Crime. In addition, he was a member of the Banking Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence. He was also involved with a number of investigative committees. For example, in 1987, he served on a committee to investigate the Iran-contra affair, which involved secret operations by the executive branch during President Ronald Reagan’s administration. In 1999, McCollum was one of the prosecutors during the Senate’s impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.
Ira William McCollum, Jr., was born in Brooksville, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 1965 and a law degree from the university’s College of Law in 1968. He served in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1972. After his Navy service, McCollum practiced law with a firm in Orlando, Florida, until he was elected to Congress.
