Ulas Hayes


Rev. Dr. Ulas Hayes was a civil rights icon from Louisiana.

Early life and education

Hayes, one of ten children, was born in Zachary, Louisiana, on December 3, 1918. His father, Bennie Hayes, the son of a preacher, first supported his family as a sharecropper. Bennie Hayes eventually became one of the few African American business owners in Louisiana during the Jim Crow era, running the Hayes Grocery Store. Pop Bennie, as he was called also served as a deacon in his father's church.
Ulas Hayes went to Southern University A&M where he attended Law School and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education. He later earned a Master of Education degree in Secondary Education from Southern University A&M. A Bachelor's degree in Political Science.
From an early age Hayes was encouraged by his mother, Elizabeth Williams Hayes to become a preacher. He went to Inter-Baptist Theological Center and graduated with an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling, and a Master of Arts in Christian Education. He also earned a Doctorate of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctorate of Philosophy from Leland College and Doctor of Divinity Degree from Interdenominational Theological Center.