Biography
Dr. John Clay Smith Jr. was born on April 15th, 1942 in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, John Clay Sr. tragically perished in an industrial accident when Smith was only 9, leaving him to be raised by his mother Emily Vernon Williams Smith (MSRC). From a young age Smith was highly involved in his community and a highly accomplished public speaker. He was the first Black president of the Omaha South student council and the first Black student to be elected Governor at Cornhusker’s Boys State (Bernstein, 2018)
Smith stayed in Omaha for college, attending Creighton University, where he met his first wife Olivia Blackamore. During his time at Creighton, he was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Core (ROTC) program and entered the Adjutant Generals Corp as a second lieutenant after his graduation in 1964. Smith enrolled in the Howard University of Law, graduating in 1967 as class president. After graduation, Smith continued his commitment to military service in the Judge Advocate General Corps (Borch, 2019) .
After leaving the Judge Advocate General Corps in 1971, Smith worked in anti-trust law and served as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Howard University School of Law. He received his juris doctorate from George Washington University (MSRC).
In 1974, Smith became a national figure. He was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission as deputy general, eventually advancing to the post of associate general counsel. 4 years later, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where he fought for recognition of sexual harassment in the work place (Bernstein, 2018).
In 1982 Smith left the EEOC and returned to the Howard University School of Law as a professor. He served a brief stint at the Dean of Howard University School of Law during a difficult period for the university. After his tenure as dean ended, he returned to his professor role and remained a professor at Howard until his retirement in 2004 (MSRC).
Smith was a prolific author, publishing countless legal articles and his widely celebrated debut book Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer. He remained a strong advocate and celebrated community member up until his death in 2018 from complications from Alzheimer’s disease (Bernstein, 2018).
