Kirk Watson: “Madam Speaker and my honorable colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, thank you for this opportunity to salute our women over…”

“Madam Speaker and my honorable colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, thank you for this opportunity to salute our women over a period of time. I would like now to introduce you to a woman by the name of Mayme Clayton. Mayme Clayton, a renowned librarian, worked her entire life to assemble a priceless collection of historical artifacts. The collection was assembled over a 40-year period by Mayme A. Clayton, 1923 to 2006, a career librarian at the University of Southern California in my district, and University of California, Los Angeles, my alma mater. And Dr. Clayton's singular commitment to preserve African American culture and history was inspired by her desire to ensure that children would know the richness and diversity of African American contributions to the world. The Mayme A. Clayton Collection of African American History and Culture is comprised of seven main components. They are as follows: rare and out-of-print books, manuscripts, documents, films, music, photographs, and memorabilia. The collection is a remarkable cultural treasure, with a vast ability to educate and to delight.”