Day of Celebration in Honor of the Life of Henry Clay, 2026

Proclamation 11022 of April 10, 2026

Day of Celebration in Honor of the Life of Henry
Clay, 2026

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On what would have been his 249th birthday, we honor
the life and enduring legacy of Henry Clay--a true
American original, whose incredible vision and lifetime
of devoted service to our Republic helped forge the
very Union we cherish so deeply.

Born in the midst of the Revolutionary War on April 12,
1777, Clay rose from humble beginnings in Virginia to
stand among the most consequential statesmen this
country has ever produced. He represented the
Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States Congress,
where he became the driving force behind what became
known as the American System, championing strong
protective tariffs to defend and develop domestic
industry, a sound national financial structure to
support growth and commerce, and Federal investment in
roads, canals, and other internal improvements to bind
the Nation together. The American System served as a
practical blueprint for national strength, national
unity, and national self-reliance.

Henry Clay understood that our Nation's political
independence must rest on a firm foundation of economic
independence. He knew that sovereignty is never merely
political. It is industrial. It is financial. It is
commercial. He understood that when a Nation can no
longer make what it needs, move what it makes, or
defend the workers who sustain it, that Nation risks
losing not only prosperity, but independence itself.

Throughout his time in public office, he never wavered
in his fight for America's economic independence during
the most formative years of our country. Clay would go
on to wield the gavel as Speaker of the House and serve
with distinction in the Senate, and in 1825, he assumed
the office of Secretary of State under President John
Quincy Adams. Throughout his career, he was nominated
for President three times--shaping the national debate
with each campaign and contributing significantly to
the advancement of American greatness.

As we commemorate 250 glorious years of American
independence, it is especially fitting that we honor a
statesman whose legacy is one of strength, vision,
patriotism, and an unshakable belief in the greatness
of the American Republic. Our country is strengthened
by the memory of great statesmen who, like Henry Clay,
devoted their lives to public service and led our
people through times of both hardship and triumph.

In honor of this American titan, and to celebrate his
pivotal role in the story of our Nation, I am proud to
direct the White House Office of Administration to
redesignate Room 208 of the Eisenhower Executive Office
Building, the historic office of the Secretary of
State, as the Henry Clay Room.

As we remember the life and contributions of Henry
Clay, we carry forward his unshakable belief in the
promise of America and honor the timeless example of a
patriot who always placed country above self. May his
memory always inspire each new generation of Americans
to greatness, and may the Union he worked so mightily
to preserve stand tall, united, and strong for
centuries to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim April 12, 2026, as a
day of celebration in honor of the life of Henry Clay.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.