Rudolph M. Clay

Rudolph "Rudy" Clay
Born	Rudolph Clay July 16, 1935 Hillsboro, Alabama
Died	June 4, 2013 Gary, Indiana
Occupation	Politician
Years active	1972 - 2012
Mayor of Gary, Indiana
In office 2006–2012
Lake County Commissioner
In office 1987–2006
Lake County Recorder
In office 1984–1987
Lake County Councilman
In office 1978–1984
Member of the Indiana State Senate
In office 1973–1977

Rudolph "Rudy" Clay (July 16, 1935 – June 4, 2013) was an American Democratic politician. He served as the mayor of Gary, Indiana and member of the Indiana Senate from 1972 to 1976.

Rudolph Clay, nicknamed Rudy, was born in Hillsboro, Alabama. His mother died shortly after his birth. His father William "Willie" Clay was absent from his life for 35 years. Two of his aunts, Lucy Hunter and Daisy Washington moved him to Gary, Indiana in 1936. He attended Gary public schools, graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1953. Clay was a pledge (prospective member) of Alpha Phi Alpha while he attended Indiana University Bloomington in 1956 on an athletic scholarship. He later continued study at Indiana University Northwest. Rudy married Christine Swan on 30 November 1957. A Methodist, Clay served as a specialist 4th class in the United States Army Chaplain Corps, 1959-1961. Rudy's son, Rudolph Clay, Jr. was born in 1960.

Clay was the owner-operator of an insurance agency in the 1960's and also owner of wholesale-retail jewelry outlets called Swing-N-Ears.

He was a Democratic state convention and national convention delegate on several occasions within his legislative service.

Clay as a Democrat was elected to the Indiana Senate in 1972, becoming Lake County's first African-American State Senator in the 1973-1976 legislative term. He was an advocate for civil rights and equal justice for all and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King. He lost re-election to an additional term in 1976. In 1977 Clay was elected Lake County Councilman before becoming the first African-American Lake County Recorder in the State of Indiana's history.

Clay was elected and served as a Lake County Commissioner in which he served as board president several times during his 1987- 2006 tenure. Clay also was elected the first African-American Chair of the Lake County Democratic Central Committee, he also held the City of Gary democratic chair at the same time. In his democratic chairman post he helped the then Senator Barack Obama win the State of Indiana for President of the United States of America which a democrat had not won in Indiana in 60 years.

Clay was elected Mayor of the City of Gary, Indiana by special election in 2006 following the resignation of Scott L. King, and again to a full term in the 2007 municipal election. As mayor, Clay led the city's efforts to successfully reduce its fiscal budget by $62 million while creating improvements in four major areas:

...
Wikipedia