SLS 22RS-3382 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 57
BY SENATOR FIELDS
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the passing of Mr. Clovis Hayes.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To express the sincere and heartfelt condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 passing of Mr. Clovis Hayes.
4 WHEREAS, it is with great regret and profound sorrow that the Legislature of
5 Louisiana has learned of the passing of Clovis Hayes on May 3, 2022, at the age of
6 eighty-seven; and
7 WHEREAS, Clovis was born on September 13, 1934, on a small farm in Clinton,
8 Louisiana, to Gravile and Clara Hayes, and was the youngest of their twelve children; and
9 WHEREAS, having only obtained a sixth grade education, Clovis could have never
10 imagined that he would grow up to make history by becoming the first black city bus driver
11 in Baton Rouge; and
12 WHEREAS, in 1959, at the age of twenty-four, Clovis started working for the Baton
13 Rouge Bus Company, now known as the Capital Area Transportation System (CATS), as
14 a mechanic and janitor for one dollar and twenty-seven cents per hour; and
15 WHEREAS, upon the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Clovis was asked by
16 the president of the bus company, Pinky Jenkins, to become a bus driver; and
17 WHEREAS, no white bus drivers wanted to train black bus drivers, so the president
18 would ride with him, and after six weeks of training, his salary was increased to one dollar
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SLS 22RS-3382 ORIGINAL
1 and ninety-seven cents per hour; and
2 WHEREAS, Clovis's first route was on Capitol Avenue, later changed to Gus Young
3 Avenue and East Boulevard; and
4 WHEREAS, Clovis spent much of his time driving routes in both black and white
5 neighborhoods and training other black bus drivers; and
6 WHEREAS, he particularly enjoyed driving college students in the Baton Rouge
7 area, spending many weekends driving special charters for the Louisiana State University
8 football team and the Southern University Human Jukebox Band; and
9 WHEREAS, he was personally requested by Dr. Isaac Greggs to transport the Human
10 Jukebox because he loved how Clovis took care of the students that were in his care while
11 driving; and
12 WHEREAS, Clovis strictly enforced company rules and policies and remained calm
13 and professional at all times, even when dealing with passengers who were unhappy to be
14 driven by a black man; and
15 WHEREAS, Clovis earned the nickname "Bam-Bam" from his son, Juan, who would
16 visit the bus station often as a young boy; and
17 WHEREAS, Clovis retired in April of 2000, having worked for the bus company for
18 forty-one years; and
19 WHEREAS, Clovis was president of the usher board at Beech Grove Baptist Church
20 in Clinton, Louisiana, and was always willing to help anyone in need of a ride or a good
21 conversation; and
22 WHEREAS, Clovis was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred Booker-Hayes, who
23 he was happily married to for fifty-five years; and
24 WHEREAS, he is survived by his four children, Weverlyn Lachas Hayes-Conner,
25 Juan Deandre Hayes, Telita Juanetta Hayes-Reese, and Natasha Lenise Hayes; eleven
26 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren; and
27 WHEREAS, Clovis will be remembered for his caring nature, his love of family, and
28 as a trailblazer for black bus drivers in Baton Rouge.
29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
30 express its sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the passing of Mr. Clovis Hayes.
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1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to his
2 daughter, Telita Hayes.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Lily Dugas.
DIGEST
SCR 57 Original 2022 Regular Session Fields
Expresses condolences upon the passing of Mr. Clovis Hayes.
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