Central State University News

Former WCSU General Manager Edwin Clay Passes Away at Age 69 CSU President Testifies Before Congressional Agriculture Committee

Former WCSU General Manager Edwin Clay Passes Away at Age 69
Former Jazzy 88.9 WCSU-FM General Manager Edwin Clay has passed away after a lengthy illness. He was 69. Mr. Clay, a native Daytonian, taught at Central State University for more than 20 years as an adjunct professor. This summer, he retired as Interim General Manager of the University’s public radio station.

Mr. Clay was a 1969 CSU graduate who received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in History/Political Science. He also earned a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and is a graduate of the CPB Management Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduating from Central State, Mr. Clay taught high school history for several years. He started his career’s work in commercial broadcasting at WDTN-TV in Dayton, Ohio, where he worked as Producer/Director for local programming and Technical Director for the nationally syndicated Phil Donahue Show.

Leaving WDTN, Mr. Clay began working in public broadcasting. His first position was as Production Manager for WPTD/WPTO Dayton/Oxford, Ohio. Later, he became the Producer of Special Projects for Nebraska Educational Television Network, in Lincoln. Mr. Clay was one of three African-Americans in public television serving as Station Manager for a major market operation while working for WOSU-TV at The Ohio State University in Columbus. He remained at WOSU for 31 years.

WCSU is the only minority-owned and operated non-commercial Ohio Public Radio station in Ohio.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Wayne T. Lee Funeral Services in Columbus, OH. Visitation is at 6 pm on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Living Faith Apostolic Church, 2177 Mock Road, Columbus, Ohio 43219. The funeral follows at 7 pm.

Burial will be at 11 am on Friday, Dec. 9, at West Memory Gardens Cemetery, 6722 Hemple Road, Moraine, Ohio.

CSU President Testifies Before Congressional Agriculture Committee
Central State University President Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond on Wednesday will join other 1890 Land-Grant University presidents in Washington DC to share the importance of diversifying the agriculture industry and the need for Congressional support.

President Jackson-Hammond will speak at the Committee on Agriculture Hearing entitled “1890 Land-Grant Institutions: Recruitment Challenges and Scholarship Opportunities.” The hearing is on Congressman David Scott’s bipartisan bill H.R. 6020, the Funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890 Land-Grant African-American Colleges and Universities Act. The bill would provide $1M in grant funding to each of the 19 public land-grant universities for scholarships to help African-American students who commit to pursuing careers in agriculture.

“There is a tremendous need to increase the number of young African-Americans seeking careers in agriculture,” said Congressman Scott. “And there is a tremendous crisis in this country given the average age of farmers in the United States is 60 years of age and continues to rise. H.R. 6020 will expand the permitted uses of federal funds awarded to 1890-universities from research, education and extension to also include scholarship grants.’’

Since receiving federal designation as an 1890 Land-Grant Institution (2014), Central State University under President Jackson-Hammond’s administration has developed new STEM-Ag degree programs (several more are on the horizon), extension services and a new Department of Agricultural Sciences to advance the University’s land-grant mission.

Joining President Jackson-Hammond to offer testimony are Dr. Paul Jones, Fort Valley State University and Dr. Juliette Bell, University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
About Central State University:
Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, is a regionally accredited 1890 Land-Grant University with a 129-year tradition of preparing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences for leadership, research and service. The University fosters academic excellence within a nurturing environment and provides a strong liberal arts foundation and STEM-Ag curriculum leading to professional careers and advanced studies globally.