Trinity High School teacher, Mr. Louis Majoris, idolizes a mostly unknown historical figure. Since his first few years teaching at THS, Majoris has admired the figure of Henry Clay, and he has used this unique interest to help connect his students to historical material.

Majoris is the well-known Trinity AP United States History teacher who manages to produce test scores that are much higher than the national average. His idol was an influential ninteenth century Speaker of the House who was famous for crafting compromises that kept the United States together, despite the issue of slavery tearing the country apart.

Majoris remarked on Clay’s work with, “[Clay] was able to think about the nation above personal and regional interests, and he understood what was best for the country.”

Clay and Majoris are two peas in a pod, and according to Junior Emma Bowman, they look like father and son, both are educated, and both are well-suited to their chosen careers. They also share the main attribute that made Clay famous, a compromising spirit.

They are not carbon copies, however, as Majoris is fiercly opposed to slavery, while Clay compromised around it. Majoris’ love for Clay has affected his teaching style. He has adjusted his curriculum to better focus on people and their ideals instead of only the causes and effects of certain events. Bowman thought that Majoris’ love of Clay helped her better connect time periods and their figures together.

Since Clay has had such a positive impact on Majoris, it might be questioned who introduced Majoris to Clay. Shortly after becoming a teacher, he saw that his friend had a picture of Clay in his wallet, and the friend asked if Majoris taught about Clay, despite his friend not being interested in history. 

“It was just a goofy friend being goofy. He’s not really a history buff, but still had a picture of Clay in his wallet,” said  Majoris. 

Majoris then began to look into Clay’s ideas, became a fan and began teaching more about Clay. It may have been fate, however, as many APUSH teachers also share the same admiration of Clay.

The life-size cutout of Clay that stands in Majoris’s room is well known. The idea to buy the cutout came from the 2018-2019 APUSH classes who all raised money to buy the cutout. It was Trinity alumni Emma Malinak’s idea, and she decorated the cutout until she graduated. Fortunately, other students have taken the mantle, and continue to decorate it. For March, Clay is decorated with festive St. Patrick’s Day decorations, wearing a green necklace and hat.

Majoris’ favorite, one-time experience was the Henry Clay Convention in Lexington, KY. He appreciated hearing other points of view that differed from his own, particularly those of fellow teachers.

His students and family don’t seem to share similar opinions about his admiration. His family is good-hearted and laughs at him about his idol, but some students question whether he truly likes Henry Clay or just uses him to teach.

Emma Bowman answered that she thinks of him as a true fan: “The cardboard cutouts, the pictures around his room, [that] he looks just like him, [and that] he was a good guy [show that he is genuine].” 

Clay, despite his obscurity to most, is deeply admired by at least one fan, Trinity’s own Majoris.