A prominent Republic politician, Will Hays (1879-1954) gave up his political ambitions after serving as U.S. postmaster general to become the motion picture industry's morality czar. Hays set up a strict movie production code that saved Hollywood from government censorship by imposing limits on acceptable screen behavior; it became the basis for an early industry movie rating system.

William Harrison Hays was born on November 5, 1879, in Sullivan, Indiana. His parents, John T. Hays and Mary (Cain) Hays, were strict Presbyterians, and Will Hays became steeped in small-town values. John Hays ran a law firm in Sullivan after moving the family from Ohio. In 1900, Will Hays graduated from Wabash College and was admitted to the bar. He joined his father's law firm.

Hays married Helen Louise Thomas on November 18, 1902. In 1904 he received his master's degree from Wabash College. He practiced law in Indiana until 1920 while becoming prominent in...