Clayton, Constance E.

Constance Elaine Clayton (October 23, 1933 – September 18, 2023) was an American educator and civic leader. From 1982 to 1993, she was the Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. Clayton held the distinction of being both the first woman and the first African American to serve as Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia. In 1992, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education established the Constance E. Clayton Professorship, the first professorship to be established in the name of an African American woman at an Ivy League institution and the second such professorship in the United States. Clayton was known for her "forceful persona" and "no-nonsense" approach and for her advocacy for children.