[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE HUGH N. CLAYTON CITIZEN EXTRAORDINAIRE
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, the State of Mississippi lost one of its
finest citizens when Hugh N. Clayton died on April 9.
Because he was my father-in-law, I have been reluctant to put any
remarks in the Record calling attention to his life and his
contributions to the people of Mississippi and to the national
organizations in which he took such an active part, but he was one of
the most successful and involved citizen leaders of his generation in
our State, and he has earned whatever recognition this tribute may
bring to his good name.
Although his family members were first in his order of priority and
affection, he had a very successful career as a lawyer, and he gave
tremendous amounts of his time to charitable, church and civic
activities.
His unusual abilities and exemplary service were recognized by
several organizations on whose national governing bodies he was invited
to serve. He was on the American Red Cross Board and was national
convention chairman in 1959. He was on the National Council of Boy
Scouts of America. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the
Amercian Bar Association.
He earned special recognition from the legal profession by his
selection as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and he
was a district governor of Rotary International.
The Methodist Church was one of his most time consuming interests. He
was not only a Sunday school teacher for 40 years, he was probably one
of the most devoted and hardest working teachers one could find
anywhere. He served also as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
North Mississippi Methodist Conference for many years.
The obituary written by Betty Jo Stewart for the New Albany Gazette
was the best in my opinion of the many articles in the newspapers of
the mid-south that carried the news of Hugh Clayton's death.
Together with the sermon of the Reverend Lavelle Woodrick that was
delivered at the funeral at the First United Methodist Church of New
Albany, MS, on April 11, an accurate and heart warming account is given
of the life and influence of a citizen extraordinaire, Hugh N. Clayton.
His family misses him very much, and all who know him mourn his
passing.
I ask unanimous consent that the obituary and the sermon be printed
in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Attorney, Church and Civic Leader Hugh N. Clayton, 86, Dies
(By Betty J. Stewart)
Hugh N. Clayton, 86, of New Albany, an esteemed attorney,
church and civic leader who achieved national prominence,
died Saturday, April 9, 1994 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital
Union County after an extended illness.
Family, friends and professional acquaintances filled First
United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. Monday in services that
honored his belief in God and his love for his church rather
than a personal eulogy.
The Revs. James McCafferty and Lavelle Woodrick officiated.
McCafferty commended Clayton as his choice among Methodist
laymen. Woodrick told of Clayton's unselfish service and
dedication to his church, giving of himself as the men's
Sunday School class teacher, as a legal adviser and as a man
who loved to sing.
The congregation sang two hymns requested by Clayton in a
letter written to Woodrick three years ago. ``Blessed
Assurance,'' and ``Amazing Grace.''
Woodrick said the words that Jesus spoke when he raised
Lazarus from the dead, ``Loose him, and let him go,'' were
chosen by Clayton for the inscription on his tombstone.
There were no graveside services. Burial was in the New
Albany Cemetery. The family greeted those who came to express
their condolences in the fellowship hall.
United Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Clayton was born Aug. 22, 1907 in Ripley, the son of Ira L.
and Nancy McCord Clayton. He was class valedictorian of
Ripley High School in 1925, where he had edited the school
newspaper his senior year.
He received a bachelor of arts degree in 1929 and a law
degree in 1931, both from the University of Mississippi where
he was first editor-in-chief of the Mississippi Law Journal,
president of Phi Delta Theta, Phi Alpha Delta and Tau Kappa
Alpha and a member of the 1931 Hall of Fame.
It was love at first sight when Clayton saw Cathryn Rose
Carter of Bolivar, Tenn., a Blue Mountain College student on
the Doodlebug, a small two-car train which ran from
Louisville, Miss. to Jackson, Tenn. He had Leslie Darden
arrange a blind date. After her graduation in June 1939, they
were married.
They had two children, Rose Clayton who is the wife of U.S.
Senator Thad Cochran, and Hugh Carter ``Buzzy'' Clayton. Both
graduated from Ole Miss. Buzzy, who also graduated from the
Ole Miss Law School, died of leukemia at the age of 27 after
he had practiced law for about two years and was the Union
County prosecuting attorney.
Hugh Clayton was a lieutenant commander in the Navy during
World War II. He was the New Albany city attorney for 44
years and city school board attorney for 48 years. He was a
director of the Bank of New Albany.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church and was a
Sunday School teacher for 40 years and had served as chairman
of the board of the North Mississippi Conference of the
United Methodist Church.
Clayton was national chairman of the American Red Cross
Board in 1959 and the only volunteer chosen for that honor
who did not live in a city of 500,000 or more. New Albany
then had a population of 3,680.
He was a regional and national promoter of Boy Scouts,
serving on the Yocona Area Council Executive Board from 1955-
1976 and on the National Council from 1959-76. Clayton was
the recipient of the Silver Beaver and the Silver Antelope
awards.
He was president of the Mississippi State Bar and a member
of the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association. He
was the first president of the Ole Miss Law Alumni
Association. He was a fellow of the American College of Trial
Lawyers.
He was district governor of Rotary International and was
made a Paul Harris Fellow in 1976. He served as a member of
the executive committee of the New Albany Centennial
Celebration in 1940 and was named honorary chairman of New
Albany's Sesquicentennial in 1990.
Clayton had been active in the local and state Democratic
party and served on the National Democratic committee from
1956-60. He was a Mason and had been presented a life
membership after serving 50 years in the Ripley lodge.
Music was always a part of his life. He studied violin for
11 years and played in churches and weddings. He played the
saxophone five years at Ole Miss and the bass horn three
years in an Ole Miss dance band. He hired a young aspiring
writer, William Faulkner to refurbish that horn, which is now
in the William Faulkner Birthplace Museum in New Albany.
Clayton always started his Sunday School class with a 20
minute song session. Clayton had been president of the Union
County and Tippah County Singing Conventions.
In the past year, he and his wife have made available
office space for the Union County Literacy Council Learning
Center.
Baxter Knox, who served as a New Albany mayor for three
terms while Clayton was city attorney, said, ``We go way
back. We tried many cases together and against each other. It
was a cordial relationship. He was a real friend and a good
attorney. Hugh had a knack for getting along with people.''
In addition to his wife and daughter, Clayton is survived
by one grandson and two granddaughters.
Pallbearers were Joe Robbins, Tom Shands, Joe Parks, Tommy
Barkely, Vance Witt and Dwight Williams.
Honorary pallbearers were members of the Hugh N. Clayton
Sunday School Class at First United Methodist Church, the
Union County Bar Association and the Board of Directors of
the Bank of New Albany.
____
Rev. Lavelle Woodrick Eulogy for Hugh N. Clayton
(By Lavelle Woodrick)
A minister named Ray Stedman wrote about meeting a young
man who had recently become a Christian. In the course of the
conversation the minister remarked that now the young man
could be free of the fear of death. He replied, ``I've never
much been afraid of death. But I'll tell you what I am afraid
of--I'm afraid I'll waste my life.''
Hugh Clayton didn't waste his life. Far from it! He was a
man whose influence for good touched countless persons. He
served in numerous ways for the betterment of others. In
fact, the number and diversity of the avenues of service to
which he gave his time, talents and energies are remarkable.
In recognition of such services many honors and distinctions
were bestowed upon him.
Signs of leadership abilities and commitments were evident
when he was a student at the University of Mississippi. He
was elected to the Hall of Fame, and he was the first editor
of the Mississippi Law Journal, published by the University's
Law School. Hugh played tuba in the Ole Miss band and dance
band. Once when his tuba needed refurbishing, he gave the job
to a young writer named William Faulkner, who painted the
bell of the tuba gold. Hugh's famous tuba is now in our local
museum.
His honors as a student forecast a long and distinguished
career. He served as president of the Mississippi Bar
Association. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the
American Bar Association, and he was a member of the
Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee.
For his service to the Boy Scouts organization, he was
given the prestigious Silver Beaver Award. He served on the
National Council of Boy Scouts of America.
He was also a member of the National Board of the American
Red Cross.
He served a term as District Governor of Rotary
International, and was a past president of the Rotary Club of
New Albany.
He responded to the call of patriotic duty in World War II
and was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy.
Some several years ago, his beloved Alma Mater, Ole Miss,
conferred on him the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Hugh Clayton served his local community in many ways. His
law practice enabled him to be both counsellor and friend to
countless clients over the years. He was city attorney and
city school board attorney for nearly 50 years. He was a
director of the Bank of New Albamy.
Hugh loved to write letters. I have a thick file of the
letters he wrote to me. I cherish each of them because they
were always loving, affirming and supportive. In one letter,
he said that my sermons were too short, and gave his opinion
that a good sermon couldn't be preached in 15 minutes, a
position which I feel sure would not represent the majority.
However, in a letter of three years ago, exactly, he gave
instructions for his funeral service and asked that no
laudatory remarks about him be said. So in this service when
he wanted me to be brief, I am speaking longer than usual at
these services; and I shall not be too stunned if I receive a
letter from the other side soon taking me to task for not
following orders.
But a life of such far-reaching good must be celebrated for
our good. We need the inspiration of a life well lived.
While we have recounted some of Hugh's accomplishments and
honors, the one he loved most, beyond his family, was the
Church.
For a number of years he was the North Mississippi editor
of a Methodist periodical which was called The New Orleans
Christian Advocate. He was also treasurer of the North
Mississippi Methodist fund that assisted pastors serving
small churches in the rural areas of our Conference, and
Hugh's files contain all the correspondence of that era.
For many years he was the chairman of the Board of
Trustees of the North Mississippi Methodist Conference. As
such he gave an enormous amount of legal service to the
Conference, especially in the area of Church property.
He was a faithful member of this Church and held many
positions of leadership.
He will be remembered in this church primarily as the
teacher of the Sunday School class that was named for him a
few years ago. More than 40 years ago, he became that class's
teacher and he remained its teacher until about a year ago.
It was more than a class. It was, and is, like a family.
Hugh referred to the class members as his ``boys.'' He guided
them, counselled them, challenged them, laughed with them,
and cried with them when one of their number died or when
some other sorrow touched them.
Hugh was both teacher and song leader. The class session
always began with a number of old, familiar hymns. With hymn
book in his right hand, Hugh would direct with his left hand,
using broad horizontal sweeps of his arm to give the beat. He
would also lead the singing for the entire congregation on
special occasions, using his familiar song-leading
techniques. He loved music, especially the old favorites and
the singing convention type songs. He once wrote to me, ``you
may not believe it, but I am true country. I have been
president of the Tippah County Singing Convention and the
Union County Singing Convention.
Not only True Country, but True Churchman, True Citizen,
True Husband, Father, Grandfather, Friend.
When he reached the immortal realm on Saturday, we are sure
that he and his beloved Buzzy were reunited. But after that,
don't you suppose that all of his Sunday School class boys
who preceded him there came to greet him. And I can hear him
say, ``Boys, let's sing our medley.'' And from that sublime
place burst forth the strains of ``Heavenly Sunshine.'' And
they would want us to hear them sing also, ``It Is No Secret
What God Can Do,'' ``So Let the Sunshine In.''
And that's what we want to do. Let the Sunshine of God's
grace in Jesus Christ into our lives.
On his grave stone, Hugh had a verse from John 11:44 carved
into the marble. It comes from the story of the raising of
Lazarus. Jesus called forth the dead Lazarus out of the tomb.
He came forth bound by all the wrappings with which the dead
were covered. Then Jesus said to those around him, ``Loose
him and let him go.'' Those are the words on Hugh's grave
stone.
We release him to his heavenly home, but we shall not let
the memories depart, and for them and for him we will always
be grateful to God.
Lavelle Woodrick,
His Pastor.
____________________