McKay was born in Tampa on July 29, 1868. His grandfather was
James McKay Sr., who also served as Mayor of Tampa. His father served as a county commissioner. The party excluded African Americans from meaningful involvement in Tampa's municipal elections for decades. As mayor he led infrastructure projects including street paving, sidewalk construction, brick firehouses,
Tampa City Hall, and the fairgrounds. On December 30, 1913, he would welcome
Tony Jannus after his airboat flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa, the first commercial flight in the U.S. During
World War I, President
Woodrow Wilson appointed McKay to serve as the chairman of the
President's Advisory Committee for Southwest Florida. In 1928, he attended the dedication of a bridge to Davis Island. Starting in 1946 and until his death, he wrote the column "Pioneer Florida" which was published in
The Tampa Tribune. During his life served as the President of the Tampa Board of Trade and be one of the founders/trustees of the
University of Tampa. McKay died of heart failure in Tampa, Florida on September 8, 1960. == Legacy ==