Lucius Clay (original) (raw)

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• Lucius Clay

Luicius Clay was born in Marietta, Georgia, on 23rd April, 1896. He attended the West Point Military Academy and after graduation was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers.

In 1933 Clay allied himself with Harry Hopkins and became a strong supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. In 1939 Clay organized the building of the Denison Dam Red River.

In June, 1940, Clay became head of the emergency Defence Airport Program and organized the building or expanding over 250 airports before the United States entered the Second World War.

Clay remained in Washington for most of the war as Director of War Department Material. He also served on the Munitions Assignment Board and the War Production Board.

In July, 1944, Clay was also a delegate to the Bretton Woods conference. Soon afterwards he was sent to France to become supply chief under Dwight D. Eisenhower. The following year he was appointed Eisenhower's deputy as military governor of occupied Germany.

In May, 1946 Clay became military governor of Germany. He held the post during the Berlin Airlift and was replaced by John J. McCloy in 1949.

Clay retired from the United States Army in 1949 and went into industry and worked as Chief Executive Officer of Continental Can and Lehman Brothers, the investment bankers. Luicius Clay died in Chatham, Massachusetts, on 16th April, 1978.