Wayne Levere Hays (May 13, 1911, Bannock, Ohio – February 13, 1989, Flushing, Ohio), was an American politician whose tyrannical rule of the House Administration Committee extended to even the smallest items; in the mid-1970s, lawmakers avoided crossing Hays for fear that he would shut off the air conditioning in their offices. [1][[2]] He resigned from Congress after a much publicized sex scandal in 1976. May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flushing is a village located in Belmont County, Ohio. ...

Early Years

Hays graduated from Ohio State University in 1933. He served as mayor of Flushing, Ohio from 1939 - 1945 and simultaneously served in the State senate in 1941 and 1942. Starting in 1945 he served a four year term as Commissioner of Belmont County. He was member of the Officers’ Reserve Corps, United States Army, from 1933 until called to active duty as a second lieutenant on December 8, 1941 until a medical discharge in August 1942. The Ohio State University is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Flushing is a village located in Belmont County, Ohio. ... Belmont County is a county located in the state of Ohio. ...

Politics

Hays, a Democrat was elected to the Eighty-first Congress in 1948 and was subsequently elected to the thirteen succeeding Congresses. He chairman of the powerful Committee on House Administration. The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... 81st Congress (1949-1951) Congressional Profile Total Membership: 435 Representatives, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commissioner Party Divisions: 263 Democrats, 171 Republicans, 1 American-Labor Leadership & Officers Speaker of the House: Sam Rayburn (D-Texas) Majority Leader: John W. McCormack (D-Massachusetts) Minority Leader: Joseph W. Martin, Jr. ... The United States House Committee on House Administration deals with the general administration matters of the United States House of Representatives. ...

Hays received 5 votes for president at the 1972 Democratic National Convention.

Scandal

In May of 1976, the Washington Post broke the story quoting Elizabeth Ray, Hays's former secretary, saying that Hays hired her on his staff, and later gave her a raise to be part of the staff of the House Administration Committee, for two years in order to serve as his mistress. Hays had divorced his first wife of 38 years just months prior, and married his veteran Ohio office secretary, Pat Peak, in early 1976, shortly before the scandal broke. [3] Ostensibly a secretary, she admitted: "I can't type. I can't file. I can't even answer the phone.'" Ray even "let a reporter listen in as the Ohio congressman told her on the phone that his recent marriage (to another former secretary) would not affect their arrangement." [4]. Time Magazine reported, "Liz chose to tell her story after Hays decided to marry Pat Peak and did not invite her. 'I was good enough to be his mistress for two years but not good enough to be invited to his wedding,' she pouted." Three days later, Hays admitted to most of the allegations on the House floor, denying only "that Miss Ray's federal salary was awarded solely for sexual services. She was not, insisted Hays, 'hired to be my mistress.'" [5]. He resigned as chairman of Committee on House Administration on June 18, 1976, and the resigned from Congress on September 1, 1976. ... Elizabeth Ray was the central figure in a scandal in the 1970s that ended the national political career of powerful U.S. Congressman Wayne Hays (D-Ohio). ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

Later Years

He served one term, from 1979-1981, as member of the Ohio state house of representatives, until he was defeated by future Congressman Bob Ney. Robert William Ney (born July 5, 1954) is an American politician of the Republican Party who serves as a U.S. representative from the 18th District of southeastern Ohio (map). ...

See also:

• Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 18th District
• List of United States Representatives from Ohio
• American Political Scandals

Voters in Ohio, as in other U.S. states elect a certain number of representatives to the United States House of Representatives. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into U.S. Congressional Delegations from Ohio. ... This article provides a list of major political scandals of the United States. ...

External Sources

• [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/elizray.htm Closed Session Romance on the Hill:

Rep. Wayne Hays' $14,000-a-Year Clerk Says She's His Mistress], Washington Post, May 23, 1976 ...

• Indecent Exposure on Capitol Hill, Time Magazine, June 7, 1976

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all members of both houses of the United States Congress, past and present. ...