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William 'Bill' Clay, Groundbreaking Congressman and Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 94
MISSOURI, JUL 17 – William Lacy Clay Sr. served 32 years in Congress, co-founding the Congressional Black Caucus and sponsoring key labor and civil rights laws including the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- On July 16, 2025, William Lacy Clay Sr., Missouri’s first Black congressman, died at age 94 in Maryland.
- Following Frank M.. Karsten’s retirement, the 1967 redistricting consolidated 257,000 Black residents into Missouri’s 1st District, leading to Clay’s 1968 congressional entry and a 48% primary win.
- Upon returning to St. Louis, William Lacy Clay Sr. joined the NAACP and CORE, leading Black residents to desegregate pools and sit in at barber shops and clubs.
- The Black Caucus stated, `with deep respect and profound sadness` in mourning his passing, while Wesley Bell called Clay `a giant—not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country`, said Bell.
- His 32-year House tenure laid the foundation for legacy, carried on by William Lacy Clay Jr. and initiatives in his name.
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28 Articles
Joint Center Mourns the Passing of William Lacy ‘Bill’ Clay Sr., Missouri’s First Black Congressman and Founding Member of the Congressional Black Caucus - Joint Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2025 Contact: Kennedy Fortner, kennedy.fortner@jointcenter.org Joint Center Mourns the Passing of William Lacy “Bill” Clay Sr., Missouri’s First Black Congressman and Founding Member of the Congressional Black Caucus WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies mourns the loss of former Congressman William Lacy “Bill” Clay Sr., a
BlackPressUSA
IN MEMORIAM: Founding CBC Member and Missouri Trailblazer Bill Clay Sr. Dies at 94
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil rights leader, legislative powerhouse, and one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, has died. He was 94.
JUST IN: Longtime Congressman Passes Away
Bill Clay Sr. (D-MO), the first black congressman from Missouri, died on Thursday after serving 32 years in the U.S. House. He was 94. Clay, a champion of civil and workers’ rights, represented the state’s 1st district from 1969 to 2001, where he was a force to be reckoned with in the rebuilding of St. Louis following “white flight” after the Civil Rights Act. He bartered with building trades and in corporate C-suites to see his childhood city r…
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