Francis Slay
| Francis G. Slay | |
|---|---|
Francis Slay at Washington University in St. Louis
|
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| 45th Mayor of St. Louis | |
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Assumed office April 17, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Clarence Harmon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 18, 1955 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Kim Slay |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
Quincy College Saint Louis University |
| Profession | Mayor |
| Religion | Maronite Catholic |
Francis G. Slay (born March 18, 1955) is an American politician and the 45thMayor of St. Louis, Missouri since 2001. The first mayor of the city of St. Louis to be elected to the office four consecutive times, Slay is the longest serving Mayor in St. Louis history. His fourth term started in April 2013. He announced on April 8, 2016 that he would not seek another term as mayor. He is registered in the Democratic Party.
Slay graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1973. He received a degree in political science from Quincy University and a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. After graduating from law school, Slay served as a law clerk for Judge Paul J. Simon of the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District. In 1981, he joined the law firm of Guilfoil, Petzall, and Shoemake where he specialized in business law and commercial litigation. Slay was elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in 1985, representing the 23rd ward. In 1995, he was elected President of the Board of Aldermen, and in 1999 was re-elected without opposition.
Slay defeated incumbent mayor Clarence Harmon and former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. in the Democratic Primary in 2001. During his first term, he oversaw significant residential redevelopment within the city, including the redevelopment of the Washington Avenue Loft District. Slay then negotiated the construction of Busch Stadium, the new St. Louis Cardinals baseball stadium in downtown St. Louis, and the re-districting of aldermanic wards required after the 2000 census. The Slay administration and its public and private partners have received national and international recognition for St. Louis's renaissance. In May 2007, Downtown St. Louis's revitalization was the subject of a Preserve America Presidential Award, the nation's highest award for historic preservation. In 2011, Citygarden won the Urban Land Institute's prestigious Amanda Burden Urban Open Space award.
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