Francis G. Slay

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Francis G. Slay (born March 18, 1955 in St. Louis, Missouri) is the forty-fifth [1] mayor of St. Louis (from 2001 to present).

[edit] Education and Early Career

Slay graduated from St. Mary's High School (St. Louis, Missouri) in 1973. He received a degree in political science from Quincy College and a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law [2]. 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, in a contested Democratic Party primary race with seven candidates. In 1999, he was re-elected without opposition.

[edit] Term as Mayor

Slay was successful in his first campaign for mayor in 2001, defeating incumbent mayor Clarence Harmon and former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. in the Democratic Primary. A great deal of residential re-development took place within the city during Slay's first term in office, including increased redevelopment in the Washington Avenue Loft District. During his first term in office, Slay was also involved with a number of controversial proposals, including construction of a new St. Louis Cardinals baseball stadium in downtown St. Louis and the redistricting of aldermanic wards required after the 2000 census. Slay also supported a controversial plan to redevelop the historic Old Post Office, which included the demolition of an adjacent historic office building, the Century Building for a parking garage. Slay was re-elected to a second term as mayor in 2005.

[edit] Family

Slay comes from a family that has long been active in St. Louis politics. His father, Francis R. Slay, is the longtime Democratic Committeeman in the 23rd Ward and once served as Recorder of Deeds. Slay and his wife Kim have two children.

Preceded by Clarence Harmon

Mayor of St. Louis 2001–

Succeeded by Incumbent