[2] Johnson was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts.

The two were roommates and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity brothers at Yale University, Johnson received his Bachelor of Arts at Yale before earning a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1970.

He served as the deputy director and chief operating officer of the Dallas Museum of Art and held positions at Frito-Lay and Wilson Sporting Goods.

[1] During his time leading the Office of Presidential Personnel, Johnson worked with including Dina Powell,[6] Jodey Arrington,[7] and Stuart Holliday.

[9] Clay is married to Anne Johnson and has two twin sons, Robert and Weldon.