William Lacy Clay Sr.(born April 30, 1931) is an American politician fromMissouri.As Congressman fromMissouri's first district,he represented portions ofSt. Louisin the U.S. House of Representatives for 32 years.
Bill Clay | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait,c.1980s | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's1stdistrict | |
| In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Frank M. Karsten |
| Succeeded by | Lacy Clay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Lacy Clay April 30, 1931 St. Louis,Missouri,U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Carol Johnson (m.1953) |
| Children | 3, includingLacy |
| Education | Saint Louis University(BS) |
Early life and family
editClay was born inSt. Louis, Missouri,the son of Luella S. (Hyatt) and Irving Charles Clay.[1]He graduated fromSaint Louis Universityin 1953. Clay served in theUnited States Armyfrom 1953 to 1955, and was a St. Louisaldermanfrom 1959 to 1964. Clay served 105 days in jail for participating in acivil rightsdemonstration in 1963. Prior to entering Congress, Clay held jobs first as a real-estate broker and later as a labor coordinator. He worked for the union of St. Louis city employees from 1961 to 1964 and then with a steamfitters union local until 1967.[citation needed]
Clay married Carol Ann Johnson in 1953. They had three children, includingWilliam Lacy Clay Jr.,who would succeed his father in the U.S. House.[2][3]The Clay family were parishioners at the predominantly black St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis.
Politics
editThis section of abiography of a living persondoes notincludeanyreferences or sources.(February 2021) |
Clay was elected to theHouse of Representativesas aDemocratin 1968. He became an advocate forenvironmentalism,laborissues, andsocial justice.In 1993, Clay voted for theFamily and Medical Leave Act.From 1991 until the Democrats lost control of Congress in 1995, Clay chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service. In 2000, he retired from the House, and his son,Lacy,succeeded him.
Honors
editIn 1996, the William L. Clay Center for Molecular Electronics (now the Center for Nanoscience) was dedicated in his honor on the campus of theUniversity of Missouri-St. Louis.
Clay is also the founder of the William L. Clay Scholarship and Research Fund, which awards college scholarships to high-school seniors living in Missouri's First Congressional District. The Fund, which is a 501(c)3 organization, has awarded scholarships since 1985.
ThePoplar Street Bridge,which connects St. Louis, Missouri, andEast St. Louis, Illinois,was renamedCongressman William L. Clay Bridgeon October 7, 2013.[4]
William L. Clay has a star and biographical plaque on theSt. Louis Walk of Fame.[5]
Works
editClay has written several works of non-fiction.
- To Kill or Not to Kill: Thoughts on Capital Punishment(1990)ISBN0-89370-331-1
- Just Permanent Interests: Black Americans in Congress, 1870–1991(1992)ISBN1-56743-000-7
- Racism in the White House: A Common Practice of Most United States Presidents(2002)ISBN0-88258-206-2
- Bill Clay: A Political Voice at the Grass Roots(2004)ISBN1-883982-52-9Designed by Steve Hartman of Creativille, Inc.Creativille, Inc. - Be Simple. Be Passionate. Be Creative.
- The Jefferson Bank Confrontation(2008)ISBN0-944514-34-0
See also
edit
References
edit- ^"Lacy Clay ancestry".freepages.rootsweb.com.
- ^"Clay, William Lacy 1931–".Contemporary Black Biography.Encyclopedia.com. 2005.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
- ^"CLAY, William Lacy, Sr".United States House of Representatives Office of the Historian.RetrievedAugust 5,2018.
- ^"St. Louis bridge renamed for long-time congressman: Stltoday".www.stltoday.com.Archived fromthe originalon 13 October 2013.Retrieved26 January2022.
- ^St. Louis Walk of Fame."St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees".stlouiswalkoffame.org. Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2012.Retrieved25 April2013.