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Roy Clay
Born(1929-08-22)August 22, 1929
Ferguson, Missouri or Kinloch, Missouri, U.S.
DiedSeptember 22, 2024(2024-09-22) (aged 95)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Alma materSaint Louis University
Employer(s)Hewlett-Packard
ROD-L Electronics

Roy L. Clay Sr. (August 22, 1929 – September 22, 2024) was an American computer scientist and inventor. He was a founding member of the computer division at Hewlett-Packard, where he led the team that created the HP 2116A 16-bit minicomputer. He served as Chief Executive Officer of ROD-L electronics and was involved with the development of electrical safety equipment.

Early life and education

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Clay was born on August 22, 1929 in Ferguson, Missouri or Kinloch, Missouri.[1][2][3] At the time, Kinloch was the oldest African-American community that was incorporated in Missouri.[2] During his summer holidays, he worked as a gardener in Ferguson, but was encouraged by the local police to leave the majority white town.[4] Despite experiencing racism throughout his childhood, Clay's mother told him to "you will face racism the rest of your life, but don't ever let that be a reason why you don't succeed".[4][5][6]

Clay attended a segregated school and eventually was awarded a scholarship to study mathematics at Saint Louis University (SLU).[1][6] While at SLU, Clay wanted to become a baseball player.[6] He was one of the first African-Americans to graduate from SLU, earning a bachelor's degree in 1951.[4]

Career

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After struggling to find work in technology, Clay started work as a school teacher.[7] At an interview for McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, Clay was taken aside and told "Mr. Clay, I'm very sorry, we don't hire professional Negroes".[6] He taught himself to write software, and by 1958 was a programmer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).[1] Clay's early professional work involved creating a radiation tracking system to study the aftermath of a nuclear explosion.[4] While working at LLNL, Clay was introduced to David Packard, who encouraged Clay to apply for a job.[8]

After leaving LLNL, Clay worked at Control Data Corporation, where he created new Fortran compilers.[4][9] In 1962, Clay moved to Palo Alto, California.[6] Clay joined Hewlett-Packard (HP), where he helped to launch and lead the Computer Science division in 1965.[10][11] He was director of the team who developed the HP 2116A, one of the company's first minicomputers. Clay stayed at HP into the 1970s, eventually rising to being the highest-ranking African-American member of staff.[1] While working at HP, Clay developed several initiatives to improve the representation of African-Americans in Silicon Valley.[4] He recognized the need to test electrical products for safety, and left HP in 1971 to start his own business.[10]

In 1977, Clay was the founding director of ROD-L Electronics, based in Menlo Park, California,[12] a "hipot and electrical-safety test equipment manufacturer."[7]

In 2002, Clay was elected by the African American Museum and Library at Oakland as one of the most important African-Americans working in technology.[10] San Mateo County awarded ROD-L Electronics the Dads Count Family Friendly Employer Award, and Clay was inducted into the Silicon Valley Hall of Fame in 2003.[13]

Personal life

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Clay was married to Virginia Clay, with whom he had three sons. After his wife died in 1995, Clay founded the Virginia Clay Annual Golf Classic.[6] Clay was involved with local politics, and was the first African-American to join the city council of Palo Alto. He was elected vice mayor in 1976.[1][4] Clay published a memoir, Unstoppable: The Unlikely Story of a Silicon Valley Godfather, in 2022.[3][14] He died on September 22, 2024, at the age of 95.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Mangrum, Doris I. (23 March 2015). "Computer Genius Roy L. Clay Sr. Started Life in Ferguson, Mo". Post News Group. Oakland Post. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  2. ^ a b Henderson, Diedtra (24 February 2012). "Before Bill Gates, There Was Roy L. Clay Sr". The Root. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  3. ^ a b c Guynn, Jessica (September 25, 2024). "Roy Clay Sr., a Silicon Valley pioneer who knocked down racial barriers, dies at 95". USA Today. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hickins, Michael. "From Ferguson To Silicon Valley: A Black Pioneer Gives Back". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  5. ^ "Black Tech Week spotlights pioneers, rising stars". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Barber, John T. (2006). The Black Digital Elite: African American Leaders of the Information Revolution. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98504-2.
  7. ^ a b "Hipot Testers". rodl.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 2020-02-21 – via Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ "MNIT Blog". Minnesota IT Services. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  9. ^ Dremann, Sue (30 January 2009). "Unsung pioneers of high tech". www.paloaltoonline.com. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  10. ^ a b c "Fully charged: Roy Clay, founder of ROD-L Electronics, keeps pushing for corporate responsibility (December 25, 2002)". www.almanacnews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  11. ^ admin (2016-02-05). "Black History Month Spotlight: Roy L. Clay Sr". Caribbean News. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  12. ^ blackentrepreneurprofile.com. "Roy L. Clay, Sr". Black Entrepreneurs & Executives Profiles. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  13. ^ "Silicon Valley Engineering Council – Hall of Fame". svec.herokuapp.com. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  14. ^ Clay, Roy L. (2022). Unstoppable: The Unlikely Story of a Silicon Valley Godfather. with M. H. Jackson. ASIN B0B6L2ZX33.
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