Leonard McCoy

Leonard Horatio(Edward) McCoy was a human Starfleet officer, best known for serving aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) as chief medical officer.

The Early Years
Leonard Horatio McCoy, the son of David Andrew McCoy and Eleanora McCoy, was born in Georgia, United States of America, Earth on 20th January 2227. His grandfather, Thomas "T.J." McCoy, M.D., was the Chief of Medicine at Emory University Medical Center in Atlanta in the 2220s. (USS Enterprise Officer's Manual; TOS novelization: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, short story: Bum Radish: Five Spins On A Turquoise Reindeer and novel: The Final Reflection).

Disaster struck McCoy at the age of 7 in 2234, when Leonard and his cousins built a raft and sailed down the Chattahoochee River. Leonard's cousin, David McCoy drowned when the raft broke apart. (TOS novel: Ice Trap).

In September 2236, Leonard, aged 9, and his family moved into another southern town on Earth. Leonard met Mark Rousseau at school, and the two became best friends. The two parted in 2243 when Rousseau entered Starfleet Academy, at this time McCoy was determined to enter medical school. (TOS novel: The Better Man).

In late 2243, McCoy met his future wife, Jocelyn at a high school social. (TOS novel: Shadows on the Sun).

In 2244, McCoy, aged 17, entered college at the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss"). During his time there, his roommate was a Tessma, Sinnit Arvid. In 2245, McCoy met the Trill, Emony Dax at a gymnastic tournament in the Menlo T. Hodgkiss Memorial Gymnasium, and the two had a brief relationship. Undecided at the time on his choice of career, Dax suggested he should be a doctor, because he had "the hands of a surgeon." (DS9 short story: "Old Souls", DS9 novelization: Trials and Tribble-ations).

In 2248, McCoy received his doctorate at the University of Georgia and Johns Hopkins after receiving medical training as a general practitioner. (USS Enterprise Officer's Manual). Shortly after receiving his doctorate, McCoy married his old flame Jocelyn, and in 2249, their daughter, Joanna McCoy was born. Their relationship started to fall apart soon after, and McCoy and Jocelyn eventually divorced. (TOS novel: Shadows on the Sun).

Aboard the Republic
In 2253, McCoy entered Starfleet and was assigned as a junior medical officer aboard the USS Republic (NCC-1371) under the command of Captain Hillios. McCoy worked in sickbay under chief medical officer, Vincent Bando. While aboard the Republic, McCoy saved the life of a ruthless assassin on the planet Ssan. (TOS novels: Shadows on the Sun and The Better Man).

Aboard the Richard Feynman
In 2254, thanks to McCoy's excellent work on the Republic, he was made chief medical officer aboard the USS Richard Feynman, under the command of his old friend, Mark Rousseau. However, following a fall-out with Rousseau, McCoy accepted a demotion as a junior science officer aboard the USS Koop. (TOS novel: The Better Man).

Aboard Starbase 7
By 2255, McCoy transfered to Starbase 7 as chief medical officer. A few months later, Lieutenant James T. Kirk, of the USS Farragut (NCC-1702), was sent to the base for rehabilitation after Kirk was badly injured battling pirates from Epsilon Canaris III. In Kirk's many months at the base, McCoy and he became good friends, and Kirk visited McCoy's home on Centaurus many times. (TOS novel: Crisis on Centaurus).

While on Starbase 7, McCoy also had a brief relationship with a woman named Nancy, who later married Professor Robert Crater. (TOS novelization: "The Man Trap", Star Trek 1).

Aboard the Constitution
In 2357, McCoy transfered aboard the USS Constitution (NCC-1700) to work under chief medical officer, Christina Velasquez. Also serving aboard the Constitution at that time was McCoys old friend, Lieutenant Commander Kirk. (TOS novel: My Brother's Keeper, Book 1: Enterprise).

Starfleet Teaching Hospital
McCoy returned to Earth in 2262, and took up a position at Starfleet Teaching Hospital working with Dr. Carol Marcus and Christine Chapel. In late 2263, Captain Kirk and Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell were placed under McCoy's care after the destruction of the USS Lydia Sutherland at the Battle of Ghioghe.

The Three-Month Voyage
In 2264, McCoy accepted Captain Kirk's offer to become Chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). However, McCoy's first stint aboard the Enterprise was cut short when he learned that his father was dying. McCoy took an extended leave of absence to look after his father, and was replaced by Dr. Mark Piper. (TOS novels: Enterprise: The First Adventure and Strangers from the Sky).

A memory that would haunt McCoy for years, was when at the request of his father, he turned off all his life support, allowing his father to die with dignity. However, a few weeks later, a cure for his father's disease was developed. (TOS novelization: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier).

Mission to Capella IV
Following the death of his father, McCoy was asked by Starfleet Medical to take part in a medical relief mission to Capella IV. He gratefully accepted, to get as far away from Earth as possible and to help others. However, by 2265, he was tired of locking horns with the Capellans, who refused any modern medical technology.

Return to the Enterprise
Luckily for McCoy, the Enterprise had returned to Earth for the funeral of Gary Mitchell, so when Kirk offered McCoy his old position as CMO back, McCoy jumped at the chance. (TOS novel: My Brother's Keeper, Book 3: Enterprise).