Eva Clayton

Eva Clayton (née McPherson; born September 16, 1934) is an American politician from North Carolina. On taking her seat in the United States House of Representatives following a special election in 1992, Clayton became the first African American to represent North Carolina in the House since George Henry White was elected to his second and last term in 1898. She was re-elected and served for five terms. In 2003, Clayton was appointed Assistant Director-General of the United Nations's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), based in Rome.

Eva McPherson was born in Savannah, Georgia to Thomas McPherson, an insurance agent, and Josephine Martin, a teacher. Clayton graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1955. In 1956, she married Theaoseus Clayton, also a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University.

Eva and Theaoseus Clayton both pursued graduate degrees at North Carolina Central University following their marriage. Eva graduated with a Master of Science degree from in Durham, North Carolina in 1962.

The Claytons moved to Warrenton, North Carolina, where Theaoseus established himself as a lawyer. Eva attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 1968, civil rights activist Vernon Jordan, as part of his efforts to increase black political engagement, met with Theaoseus Clayton to recruit a black candidate for public officer in eastern North Carolina. Eventually, the two decided that Eva was the best choice, and later that year she unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Lawrence H. Fountain in North Carolina's 2nd congressional district for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Clayton worked on the Soul City community development project in Warren County, North Carolina. In 1977, she was appointed Assistant Secretary for Community Development for the North Carolina State Department of Natural Resources and Community Development and served from 1977 to 1981.

From 1982 to 1992, Clayton served as an elected member and chair of the Warren County Board of Commissioners. In 1992, she was elected from the 1st congressional district in North Carolina to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat; at the same time she won a special election to finish the remaining months in 1992 of the term of Congressman Walter B. Jones Sr.

North Carolina had amended its constitution in 1899 to disfranchise Blacks, as did most southern states from 1890 to 1908, and no Black candidates were elected to Congress in the succeeding 92 years. When Representative Walter Jones Sr., announced his retirement in 1992, Clayton entered the Democratic primary to fill his seat. Recently reapportioned by the state legislature, the congressional district was one of two in North Carolina that had a black majority In 1992. Clayton and Mel Watt became the first African Americans to win election to the House from North Carolina since 1898. (As Clayton won a special election, she took office before Watt). Watt's 12th congressional district was one of two minority majority districts developed in the 1990s, in order to give the substantial minority of African Americans in the state the ability to elect candidates of their choice, in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.