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
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
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
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
from 1953 to 1955, and was a St. Louis
alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
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
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
in 1968. He became an advocate for
environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
,
labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
issues, and
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
. 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
Creativille, Inc. - Be Simple. Be Passionate. Be Creative.*''The Jefferson Bank Confrontation'' (2008)
See also
*
List of African-American United States representatives
References
External links
Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress websiteThe History MakersThe William L. Clay Scholarship and Research Fund*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, Bill
1931 births
Living people
20th-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American writers
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American non-fiction writers
20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
20th-century Roman Catholics
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century African-American writers
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century Roman Catholics
Activists from St. Louis
African-American Catholics
African-American city council members in Missouri
African-American non-fiction writers
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American people in Missouri politics
African-American United States Army personnel
American civil rights activists
American male non-fiction writers
American Roman Catholic writers
American trade unionists
Businesspeople from St. Louis
Catholics from Missouri
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri
Members of Congress who became lobbyists
Members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen
Military personnel from Missouri
Politicians from St. Louis
Saint Louis University alumni
United States Army soldiers
Writers from St. Louis