Joseph Bertrand “Joe” McGinnis, Sr. was born on August 18, 1936 to Gilbert and Lois McGinnis. The McGinnis family had three children and Joe was the middle child. Although the family lived some in Temple, Georgia, McGinnis grew up and was raised in Carrollton for the majority of his childhood. His father, Gilbert, worked at Southeastern Motor Lines as a bus driver and ticket agent until his death in January 1952 when Joe was only fifteen. Following his father’s death, Joe’s mother, Lois, supported the family by working at Sewell Mill in Bremen.

McGinnis attended Carrollton High School (CHS) where he served as captain and quarterback of the football team. In addition to football, he also participated in baseball and track which led to him to be inducted into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame. McGinnis also served as President of the Student Body his senior year. He graduated from CHS in 1955.

Following high school, McGinnis attended Georgia State University. During his time in college, McGinnis worked at Reynolds Metals Co., married Carole Copeland, had his first son, Joe Jr., and served his reserve duty in the Army. He graduated in 1963.

After graduating high school, McGinnis and his family moved around the southeastern United States. During this time, Joe and Carole had two more sons: Gilbert “Gil” and Glen. In 1975, they moved back to Carrollton and purchased the Baskin-Parker house, where they continue to reside today.

McGinnis served on the Carrollton City School Board from 1977 to 1993. In that year, McGinnis was elected Mayor of Carrollton, serving from 1993 to 1999. He served as mayor until 1999, losing his re-election to Gerald Pilgrim. Following his time as mayor, McGinnis was again elected to the Carrollton City School Board from 2001 to 2013.

In addition to serving Carrollton, McGinnis also worked as a real estate appraiser and salesman for Macklanburg-Duncan and Kaiser Aluminum, as well as owned McGinnis & Associates, a manufacturer representative agency that served the floor covering installation supply industry. He is also the author of The Last Zinnia (2009), a fictional work which takes place in Georgia. Moreover, McGinnis has been involved in numerous organizations including the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame, the Carroll Historical Society where he was Vice President in 2012, the Rotary Carrollton Dawnbreakers where he was a charter member, and the West Georgia Habitat for Humanity where he was a founding member. He was also participant in the House Raising Team in Charlotte, NC, working alongside President Jimmy Carter, and the House Raising Walk of 1988 which went from Maine to Georgia. McGinnis and his wife continue to be active members of the First United Methodist Church in Carrollton.