Hays, Will(iam Harrison) (1879–1954)

US movie executive. He was appointed head of the new Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), created by the movie industry itself to counter increasing public protests against Hollywood scandals and risqué films. In 1930 the Hays Office set forth its Production Code (soon known as the Hays Code), a detailed listing of what was or was not allowed in movies. In administering the Code until 1945 through the MPPDA, he exercised great influence over US film production. Hays was born in Sullivan, Indiana. He was a lawyer, and, before taking up his MPPDA post, he served as chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Postmaster General under President Warren Harding.