Francis Slay

Francis G. Slay

45th Mayor of St. Louis
Assumed office
April 17, 2001
Preceded by Clarence Harmon
Personal details
Born (1955-03-18) 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 45th[1] Mayor 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.[2] He announced on April 8, 2016 that he would not seek another term as mayor.[3] He is registered in the Democratic Party.

Education and early career

Slay graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1973. He received a degree in political science from Quincy College and a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law.[1] 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.

Term as Mayor

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,[4] the nation's highest award for historic preservation. In 2011, Citygarden won the Urban Land Institute's prestigious Amanda Burden Urban Open Space award.[5]

He announced on April 8, 2016 that he would not seek another term as mayor.[3]

Family

Slay is the second of eleven children. His father, Francis R. Slay, was affiliated with St. Raymond's Maronite Catholic Cathedral in St. Louis, and was the long-time Democratic Committeeman in the 23rd Ward, and who once served as Recorder of Deeds. Francis R. Slay died on March 16, 2011, aged 83.[6]

Slay and his wife Kim have two children and three rescued dogs. Slay is a Maronite Catholic and also an avid supporter of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and of Roman Catholic organizations in the city. He is of Lebanese and Polish ancestry.[7]

Highlights During St. Louis Mayoral Term

References

  1. 1 2 About Mayor Slay
  2. ↑ https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/
  3. 1 2 http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/st-louis-mayor-francis-slay-announces-he-will-not-run/article_f6fa3913-7c4a-56e7-9b3e-01559452b99a.html
  4. ↑ http://www.preserveamerica.gov/news-07paawards.html
  5. ↑ https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/16126/citygarden_wins_prestigious_amanda_burden_award
  6. ↑ Francis R. Slay, father of the mayor, dies at 83, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 16, 2011.
  7. ↑ Profile, politicalgraveyard.com; accessed November 25, 2014.
  • Schlinkmann, Mark (April 18, 2001). "Slay Is Sworn in as St. Louis' 45th Mayor". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. A1. 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francis G. Slay.
Political offices
Preceded by
Clarence Harmon		 Mayor of St. Louis
2001–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.