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Arlene Clay

Arlene Clay

Born in 1912 and originally from Maine, Arlene Clay came to Nome, Alaska in 1944 with her husband, Earl, to work for the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) . In 1946, they moved to Aniak, Alaska to serve another two years with the CAA. They enjoyed life along the Kuskokwim River, so they made Aniak their home. Arlene served as Aniak’s magistrate from 1960 to 1977, and lived in a cabin on the Kuskokwim River for 67 years until her move to a retirement community in Wasilla in early 2011. In 2012, Arlene received the Judge Nora Guinn Award from the Alaska Bar Association honoring her service as a magistrate, and the Aniak Courtroom was named in her honor.

Arlene Clay died on February 11, 2016 at the age of 103. For more about Arlene Clay, see her obituary in the Alaska Dispatch News newspaper or a 2011 article about her and her interest in Ham radio in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman newspaper.
Date of Birth:
Aug 2, 1912
Date of Death:
Feb 11, 2016
Arlene Clay appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Magistrate Arlene Clay's Slideshow
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Magistrate Arlene Clay, Part 1

Arlene Clay was interviewed on January 25, 2012 by Karen Brewster and Barbara Hood at her apartment at the Primrose Retirement Community in Wasilla, Alaska. Arlene’s friend, John Murphy was also present at the interview. Originally from Maine, Arlene Clay came to Nome, Alaska in 1944 with her husband, Earl, to work for the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) . In 1946, they moved to Aniak, Alaska to serve another two years with the CAA. They enjoyed life along the Kuskokwim River, so they made Aniak their home. Arlene served as Aniak’s magistrate from 1960 to 1977, and lived in a cabin on the Kuskokwim River for 67 years until her move to Wasilla in early 2011.  In this interview, 99 year-old Arlene talks about her experience as a magistrate in rural Alaska. She talks about the types of cases she heard, where court was held, dealing with prisoners, getting called out to do investigations because there were no Alaska State Troopers available, how she got along with the community, what live was like in Aniak, and how she felt rural justice worked in Alaska.

 2012-02-05_PT.1 Judges of Alaska Jan 25, 2012
Magistrate Arlene Clay, Part 2

This is a continuation of the interview with Magistrate Arlene Clay on January 25, 2012 by Karen Brewster and Barbara Hood at her apartment at the Primrose Retirement Community in Wasilla, Alaska. Arlene’s friend, John Murphy was also present at the interview. This is a continuation from tape number Oral History 2012-02-05, Part 1. In this part of the interview, Magistrate Clay talks about changes in Alaska's justice system, challenges and joys of being a magistrate, and working with other people in the court system.

 2012-02-05_PT.2 Judges of Alaska Jan 25, 2012