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John Clay Smith Jr. (April 15, 1942 – February 15, 2018) was a lawyer, author, and American educator. He served as dean of
Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the old ...
. He wrote ''The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844–1944''. Smith was born in
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
,
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
. He graduated from
Creighton University Creighton University () is a private research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate ...
in 1964 and his master's and doctorate's degree from
George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
. Smith received his law degree from the
Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the old ...
and was admitted to the Nebraska bar. Smith served in the
Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army The Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army, also known as the U.S. Army JAG Corps, is the legal arm of the United States Army. It is composed of Army Officer (armed forces), officers who are also lawyers ("judge advocates"), wh ...
. In 1978, President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
named Smith to the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
and served as interim chair in 1981 and 1982. He then served on the
Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...
faculty and then retired in 2004. Smith died in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
.Bernstein, Adam (February 20, 2018
'J. Clay Smith Jr., forceful EEOC leader and Howard University law school dean, dies at 75
''The Washington Post,''
Nebraska State Bar Association-J. Clay Smith Jr.
/ref>


Writings

*''Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844–1944'' (1993)


Notes


External links

* 1942 births 2018 deaths Military personnel from Omaha, Nebraska Lawyers from Omaha, Nebraska Creighton University alumni George Washington University alumni Howard University School of Law alumni United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps Howard University faculty Chairs of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Washington, D.C. 20th-century African-American lawyers 21st-century African-American lawyers Deans of law schools in the United States 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics {{Nebraska-stub