Bill Clay

Bill Clay
Official portrait, c. 1980s
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 2001
Preceded byFrank M. Karsten
Succeeded byLacy Clay
Personal details
Born
William Lacy Clay

(1931-04-30)April 30, 1931
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DiedJuly 17, 2025(2025-07-17) (aged 94)
Adelphi, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Carol Ann Johnson
(m. 1953; died 2025)
Children3, including Lacy
EducationSaint Louis University (BS)

William Lacy Clay Sr. (April 30, 1931 – July 17, 2025) was an American politician from Missouri. As Congressman from Missouri's First District, he represented portions of St. Louis in the U.S. House of Representatives for 32 years.

Clay was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1968. He became an advocate for environmentalism, labor issues, and social justice.

Poplar Street Bridge, which connects St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, was renamed on October 7, 2013, Congressman William L. Clay Sr. Bridge.[1]

Clay died on July 17, 2025 at his daughter's home in Adelphi, Maryland at the age of 94.[2][3]

References

  1. "St. Louis bridge renamed for long-time congressman : Stltoday". Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  2. Bill Clay Sr., Missouri’s first Black congressman who wielded power for 32 years, dies at 94
  3. Stout, David (July 21, 2025). "William L. Clay, Missouri's First Black Congressman, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2025.

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