William Lacy "Bill" Clay Sr. (born April 30, 1931) is an American politician from

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

who served as a member of the

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from Missouri's 1st congressional district representing portions of St. Louis for 32 years from 1969 to 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and family

Clay was born in St. Louis, the son of Luella S. (Hyatt) and Irving Charles Clay. He graduated from

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

in 1953. Clay served in the

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from 1953 to 1955, and was a St. Louis

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from 1959 to 1964. Clay served 105 days in jail for participating in a

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

demonstration 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. Clay married Carol Ann Johnson in 1953. They had three children, including Lacy Clay, who would be elected in 2000 to succeed his father in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Clay family were parishioners at the predominantly black St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis. On February 16, 2025, Carol Clay died at age 89.

Politics

Clay was elected to the

in 1968. He became an advocate for

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issues, and

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. Clay voted for the

Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a United States labor law requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected, unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons. The FMLA was a major part of President Bill ...

. 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

In 1996, the William L. Clay Center for Molecular Electronics (now the Center for Nanoscience) was dedicated in his honor on the campus of the

University of Missouri–St. Louis The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is a Public university, public research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Established in 1963, it is the newest of the four universities in the University of Missouri System. Located ...

. 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. The Poplar Street Bridge, which connects St. Louis, Missouri, and the town of East St. Louis, Illinois, was renamed Congressman William L. Clay Bridge on October 7, 2013. William L. Clay has a star and biographical plaque on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

Works

Clay has written several works of non-fiction. *''To Kill or Not to Kill: Thoughts on Capital Punishment'' (1990) *''Just Permanent Interests: Black Americans in Congress, 1870–1991'' (1992) *''Racism in the White House: A Common Practice of Most United States Presidents'' (2002) *''Bill Clay: A Political Voice at the Grass Roots'' (2004) Designed by Steve Hartman of Creativille, Inc
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*''The Jefferson Bank Confrontation'' (2008)

References

External links