Clay, Lucius D. (Lucius Dubignon), 1897-1978

Lucius DuBignon Clay (1897-1978) was born in Marietta, Georgia, the son of U.S. Senator Alexander Stephen and Sarah (Francis) Clay. After graduating from West Point in 1918, he commissioned in the Army Corps of Engineers. From 1937 to 1938, he was chief engineer under General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines. During his tenure with the War Department General Staff, he made brigadier general in March 1942 and major general nine months later. From 1944 to 1945, he served as deputy director for war programs in the office of War Mobilization and Reconversion. He rose to the rank of lieutenant general in April 1945. Between 1945 and 1949, he was deputy governor, then military governor, of the American Zone in occupied Germany. His responsibilities included overseeing the supply of food and materials during the Berlin Blockade. Once the blockade lifted in May 1949, he retired from military service at the rank of general. His decorations included three Distinguished Service Medals, the Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star. He pursued a second career in business in New York City. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy appointed him U.S. ambassador in Berlin. Upon his return to the United States, Clay continued to advise President Kennedy on issues related to Germany. He married Marjorie McKeown in 1918. The couple had two sons, Lucius D. Clay, Jr., who became a four-star general in the U.S. Air Force, and Frank B. Clay.