William Harrison Hays (November 5, 1879–March 7, 1954) was the namesake of the Hays Code, chairman of Republican National Committee and U.S. Postmaster General.

Hays was the campaign manager for Warren G. Harding's successful campaign for the Presidency of the United States in the 1920 U.S. presidential election and subsequently became Harding's Postmaster-General.

He was born in Sullivan, Indiana where he also died. His grandson -- William Hays III -- teaches English at Bloomington High School North in Bloomington, Indiana. He is well known and revered for his distinguished career in education. There is a small celestial body in space named after him.

In 1922 he was hired by the Hollywood movie studios as the first president of the Motion Picture Association of America until he retired in 1945.

Bibliography

• Hays, Will H. The Memoirs of Will H. Hays. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1955.

External links

• Time Magazine Cover: Will H. Hays - Sept. 13, 1926

1879 births | 1954 deaths | Cinema of the United States | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Motion Picture Association of America | People from Indiana | Presbyterians | Phi Delta Theta brothers | Republican National Committee chairmen | United States Postmasters General