William Lacy Clay, Sr.

Congressman William Lacy Clay, Sr., represented Missouri’s 1st Congressional District from 1969 to 2001 (91st-106th Congresses). When elected, Clay became the first African American representative from Missouri and one of only two African American representatives from states west of the Mississippi River to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Environmental justice, labor rights, and social justice issues were priority legislative concerns for Clay during his tenure. Clay was a ranking member of the Education and Workforce Committee and served as chair of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee. Other committee assignments included Education and Labor, Education and Economic Opportunities, House Administration, and Joint Library committees. Clay was the third senior member of the House when he retired in 2000. Before Congress, he served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955. After his military service, Clay returned to St. Louis, where he worked as a real estate broker and manager at Industrial Life Insurance Company and became involved in local politics, union, and civil rights activities. He was also on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in 1959 and served as a committeeman. He is the author of several books, including Just Permanent Interests: Black Americans in Congress 1870-1992 (1993) and Bill Clay: A Political Voice at the Grass Roots (2004). Clay earned a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from St. Louis University.