Avery Clayton
Encyclopedia
Avery Clayton established a library and museum to house African American artifacts collected by his mother, the late Mayme Agnew Clayton
.
, the eldest of three sons born to Andrew Clayton, a barbershop owner and Mayme Agnew
, a librarian, who over forty years would assemble an impressive collection of African-American artifacts.
After serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
, Clayton studied at Los Angeles City College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in art from UCLA
.
In 2006, just days before his mother's passing at age 83, Clayton signed a $1-a-year lease on a former courthouse in Culver City, California
to house his mother's extensive collection.
"Her part was to assemble the collection," Clayton has stated on several occasions. "I really believe my part is to bring it to the world."
For the next three years, Clayton, a kidney transplant recipient, dedicated himself to raising the funds needed to open the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Cultural Center to the general public. The facility was scheduled to open possibly in 2010 or 2011 at the time of his sudden death from a heart attack on Thanksgiving
, 2009.
Cynthia Hudley, a UC Santa Barbara
professor and vice president of the facility's board of directors, was named interim director in the wake of Clayton's death. She stepped down from that position in 2010.
A public memorial service was scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2009 at the Agape International Spiritual Center
in Culver City
.
Mayme Agnew Clayton
Mayme Agnew Clayton was a librarian, and the Founder, President & Spiritual Leader of the Western States Black Research and Education Center , the largest privately held collection of African-American historical materials in the world. The collection represents the core holdings of the Mayme A...
.
Biography
Clayton was born in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the eldest of three sons born to Andrew Clayton, a barbershop owner and Mayme Agnew
Mayme Agnew Clayton
Mayme Agnew Clayton was a librarian, and the Founder, President & Spiritual Leader of the Western States Black Research and Education Center , the largest privately held collection of African-American historical materials in the world. The collection represents the core holdings of the Mayme A...
, a librarian, who over forty years would assemble an impressive collection of African-American artifacts.
After serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Clayton studied at Los Angeles City College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in art from UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
In 2006, just days before his mother's passing at age 83, Clayton signed a $1-a-year lease on a former courthouse in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
to house his mother's extensive collection.
"Her part was to assemble the collection," Clayton has stated on several occasions. "I really believe my part is to bring it to the world."
For the next three years, Clayton, a kidney transplant recipient, dedicated himself to raising the funds needed to open the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Cultural Center to the general public. The facility was scheduled to open possibly in 2010 or 2011 at the time of his sudden death from a heart attack on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, 2009.
Cynthia Hudley, a UC Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
professor and vice president of the facility's board of directors, was named interim director in the wake of Clayton's death. She stepped down from that position in 2010.
A public memorial service was scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2009 at the Agape International Spiritual Center
Agape International Spiritual Center
Agape International Spiritual Center is a transdenominational congregation in Culver City, California. Founded in 1986 by Michael Bernard Beckwith, it currently has approximately 9,000 members who follow its New Thought spirituality. Beckwith leads the congregation along with his wife, Ricki...
in Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.