Roy Clay Sr., ‘Godfather of Silicon Valley,’ remembered as pioneering, selfless

In the late 1950s, back when Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were toddlers, Roy Clay Sr. was busy programming and developing computer software in the Bay Area, well on his way to making history as a pioneer in the world of technology.

Clay died on Sunday, Sept. 22, at the age of 95.

A true multi-hyphenate, Clay is credited with not just leading the computer division at technology company Hewlett-Packard in the mid-1960s and helming the team that built HP’s first minicomputer, but also for shattering the glass ceiling for himself — and other Black students and professionals down the line — in the world of technology back when it was predominantly a white dominated industry.

As is documented in his book, “Unstoppable: The Unlikely Story of a Silicon Valley Godfather,” Clay came from a markedly humble background and grew up in the segregated town of Kinloch in Missouri. He later went on to become the first African American to graduate from St. Louis University in 1951. He worked as a math teacher before beginning his career in tech.

Clay is also credited for his involvement in the formation of companies like Intel and Compaq, among others. In the late 1970s, Clay started his own electrical-safety test equipment manufacturing company Rod-L Electronics at Menlo Park, where he created job opportunities for thousands of Black employees.

“Mr. Clay was an inspiration to so many, an example of Black excellence breaking racial barriers, opening doors, and being the first — we stand on his shoulders as he helped to build Silicon Valley to what it is today. Growing up in Palo Alto and in the Clay household I (was) fortunate to have him as my role model and mentor,” said André V. Chapman, president and CEO of Fostering Promise — a nonprofit that works to reform the foster care system — who featured Clay in his book “Roses in Concrete: Giving Foster Children the Future They Deserve.”

When Brian Tippens, now senior vice president and chief social impact & inclusion officer at Cisco, came back to Silicon Valley, Clay was “incredibly generous with his time and counsel and connections to his network,” Tippens said. “He was truly a selfless mentor and confidant.”

Clay also broke racial barriers beyond the world of tech. He made history as the first African American on the Palo Alto City Council and later became vice mayor of the city.

“Roy Clay Sr., proud to say our Dad, opened political doors and made policies that had the best interest of the City’s most underserved,” his son Chris Clay, who is a SAP executive, told the Weekly in an email. “At HP, Dad made sure that he was not ‘the first and only’ person of color. He opened the doors for many, leading the way for HP to recruit Black engineers from historically Black colleges.”

According to Chris, his father was determined to succeed against the odds. “Despite being rejected from jobs based solely on race early in his career, he was determined to succeed — driven primarily by his mother’s advice early in life to never let racism be a reason why he doesn’t succeed,” he told the Weekly in an email. “Combining his education, with a strong work ethic, genuine concern about people, and an unstoppable spirit, he was able to trailblaze the way for himself and others. He succeeded wherever he worked, breaking through barriers and opening doors for others.”



He attributes his father’s success in work and life to his upbringing and core values. “Our father’s upbringing demonstrates the value of family. Growing up in a segregated Black town with limited resources, there was love in their small house of eleven people (9 brothers and sisters),” he said. “Father’s life showed the strength of love, caring, doing one’s best with the resources at hand, never letting outsiders or outside forces to define you, never stopping, and above all helping others along the way. His parents also instilled in him the value and importance of education. Nearly all 9 of his siblings have college degrees.”

Clay loved playing golf. He became the first Black member of the Olympic Club, one of the oldest athletic clubs in the country, and went on to become club president down the line.

He valued his family above all else. “Success was enabled by unwavering support of (his) wife. That said, family was always his highest priority. Turned down many lucrative offers, just to make sure he had the flexibility to spend time with family,” said Chris Clay.