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Strickland was born in Vicksburg in Warren County in western [[Mississippi]], to Clyde Cotton Strickland and the former Erna Voss.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/woodlands/obituaries/article_a33f0a69-7658-5a98-a5db-0301e03011aa.html|title=Roy C. StricklanStrickland|publisher=yourhoustonnews.com|date=September 23, 2010|accessdate=February 7, 2011; no longer on-line}}</ref>​​Strickland graduated in 1960 from Jet High School in Warren County, Mississippi and enlisted in the [[United States Navy]], having served for six years. He briefly attended college at what became the University of New Orleans. From 1968 to 1978, he was involved in selling insurance door-to-door, working for trucking companies, including Mississippi Fast Freight, Matlach, and Younger Brothers, in Mississippi, [[Tennessee]], Louisiana, and Texas, having progressed upward from entry-level positions. Decades later, he began selling real estate in Texas.

==Politicial Political activities==​

In 1972, when he was twenty-nine and residing in Gonzales in Ascension Parish south of [[Baton Rouge]], Strickland ran as a Republican for the open seat in Louisiana's 8th congressional district. Former U.S. Representative Gillis Long was the Democratic nominee, who defeated four opponents in the [[closed primary]] election held on August 19. His strongest intra-party rival had been state Representative] [[Armand Brinkhaus ]] of Sunset in St. Landry Parish and state Senator J. E. Jumonville of Ventress in Pointe Coupee Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=236162|title=Louisiana District 8 - D Primary|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=May 23, 2014}}</ref> Long then faced Strickland and a second opponent in the general election, Dr. Samuel R. Abramson (1917–1997), then a surgeon from Marksville in Avoyelles Parish, and later a [[Lafayette]] resident and the choice of [[George Wallace]]'s former American Independent Party, considered part of the "Radical Right."

Strickland continued his Republican political activities in Montgomery County, Texas. After the suicide of one of the four county commissioners in the middle 1980s, Strickland sought the Republican nomination from a committee organized to select a replacement. When the committee chose someone else, who was part of the GOP hierarchy, Strickland ran unsuccessfully as a write-in candidate in the [[general election]]. Strickland otherwise remained affiliated with the Republican Party. ===Texas political candidacy=Business entrepreneur==Strickland was transferred in 1977 to the Houston area by his employer, Younger Brothers Trucking Co. He later co-founded a construction firm and helped to run a [[Tennessee]]-based transportation company.​

In 1990, Strickland continued his Republican political activities in Montgomery Countyformed what became CANUSAMEX Transportation, TexasInc. After , a firm twice named the suicide of one of "Fastest Growing In Houston." In 2000, it was ranked by ''Inc. Magazine'' as the four county commissioners 133rd fastest growing company in the middle 1980s, Strickland sought the Republican nomination from a committee organized to select a replacementUnited States. When the committee chose someone else, who CANUSAMEX was part of the GOP hierarchyacronym of Canada/USA/Mexico. The company failed after September 11, 2001, Strickland ran unsuccessfully as a write-in candidate in explained, because it could not comply with new government regulations which stemmed from the terrorist attacks in [[general electionNew York City]], [[Washington, D. Strickland otherwise remained affiliated with C.]], and [[Pennsylvania]]. The company ceased operations in the Republican Partysummer of 2002.​

==Business entrepreneur==​​Strickland was transferred in 1977 to the Houston area by his employer Younger Brothers Trucking Co. He later co-founded a construction firm and helped to run a Tennessee-based transportation company.​​In 1990, Strickland formed what became CANUSAMEX, Inc., a firm twice named the "Fastest Growing In Houston."{ In 2000, it was ranked by ''Inc. Magazine'' as the 133rd fastest growing company in the United States. CANUSAMEX, Inc., was a victim of September 11, 2001, Strickland explained, because it could not comply with new government regulations which stemmed from the terrorist attacks in [[New York City]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Pennsylvania]]. The company ceased operations in the summer of 2002.​​Strickland returned to his hometown of Vicksburg in August 2002 and worked with family members to negotiate the merger, acquisition, and consolidation of twelve Internet Service Providers which were sold to Xfone early in 2005.<ref>[http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?View=2&ID=2667 ''Mississippi Business Journal<!-- Bot generated title -->]''; date missing; article no longer available.</ref>​​He then returned to The Woodlands in In the fall of 2004 and obtained , Strickland was back in The Woodlands with a real estate license. He died in The Woodlands two days after his 68th birthday. He is interred at Forest Park The Woodlands Cemetery.<ref name=obit/>​