Streamlined record keeping is just one of Clayton’s legacies

2:25 p.m., Aug. 21, 2003--John Clayton has been involved with the University’s past and its future during his more than 35 years of service at UD. He has served as University archivist; organizer of UD’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of receiving its charter from the state; and as acting director and assistant director of University development and, most recently, assistant director of planned giving.

In his spare time, John Clayton, an honorary Blue Hen, led alumni campus bus tours at 26 spring reunions during his 35 years at UD.

Clayton said he has enjoyed every job he has held at UD and is proud of being a part of a University that has grown in size, stature and reputation.

A voice major at West Chester University, Clayton said music always has been important to him and singing as a soloist and in choruses was his avocation for many years. Clayton went on to earn his master’s degree in library science at Drexel University with the idea of becoming a music librarian, but, he said, “That never happened.”

Instead, he came to UD on July 1, 1967, as a reader services librarian. After two years on the library staff, he was asked to become the first full-time archivist in 1969.

“The University Archives began in the basement of the Morris Library,” he recalled.

One of Clayton’s early goals was the systematic preservation of master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. “At that time, many archivists were not interested in them, and librarians had the theory that if these documents were worthwhile, they would be published,” he said.

“To me, theses and dissertations represent our academic genealogy and are a record of our students’ expertise and research under the direction of our faculty. Some of the dissertations indicate a step progression, building on the research of a previous student in the quest for knowledge, and these documents are a record of this important work.”

Clayton served on a steering committee of the Society of American Archivists and joined other academic archivists in developing a national policy regarding the preservation of theses and dissertations. Thanks in part to their efforts, universities began to adopt these policies.

As UD’s records manager, Clayton brought order to institutional record keeping and established records retention schedules for the retention and destruction of University records.

“Every office on campus has financial, academic and other records, which are scheduled and reviewed each year,” he said. “As students graduate, for example, the registrar maintains the official academic record of each student, and there is no reason for departments to continue to keep them,” he said. “By getting rid of unnecessary duplication, we streamlined record-keeping practices and freed up space for other uses.”

Given UD’s successful approach in records management, Clayton and his associate, Jean K. Brown, the present director of archives, began holding summer workshops for nonprofit organizations. Among those adopting UD’s methods of records management were the states of Delaware and New York, the University of Tennessee and the Presbyterian Church USA. The Organization of American States brought representatives from emerging nations to the University to learn about archives and records management programming.

Clayton received recognition from his peers and was elected president of the Philadelphia chapter of ARMA (Association of Records Managers and Administrators). He later helped form a chapter in Delaware and twice served as president.

In 1983, Clayton was asked to chair the committee that was organizing the 150th anniversary of the University as a degree-granting institution. The observance was an ongoing commemoration, which was scheduled to begin on Feb. 5, 1983, the anniversary of the charter of the College of Newark from the state, and end on May 8, 1984, commemorating the date when classes were first held at the college. Clayton was in charge of organizing some 18 different events in connection with the celebration.

Some observances were linked with existing events, such as UD Farm and Home Field Day, which focused on 19th-century crafts that year, and Newark Community Day, which featured a cake reproduction of Old College that fed 500 people. The special events also included an Anniversary symposia and convocation, held by each of the then 10 colleges featured speakers and programs, the Black American Studies Program and the Office of Women’s Affairs. On Founders Day, then U.S. Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush received an honorary doctor of laws and Wilbert and Genevieve Gore received Medals of Distinction from the University.

In 1988, Clayton was asked to serve as acting director of development, a position he held until a permanent director of development was hired. Then he stayed on as assistant director until his move to planned giving in 1997.

“Instead of being involved with the history of the University of Delaware, I was now involved in its future—obtaining gifts and funding through planned giving and deferred gifts for what the University needed and wanted,” Clayton said.

He said he met interesting people along the way who were interested in supporting the University, and many became his friends. “The trouble with planned giving work is that when the University receives the deferred gift, I have lost a friend who has died,” he said.

He intends to keep in touch and visit UD alumni and the friends he has met after retirement.

Clayton is a true Blue Hen supporter and fan of the University. “The University is affordable, its senior faculty teach undergraduates, it has a wonderful study abroad program for students and so many other programs that make it an outstanding school,” he said.

Clayton has many links with the University. His wife, Norma, who is director of planned giving at West Chester University, earned a master of education degree at UD in 1969 and a master of business administration in 1982. His daughter, Signe, received her bachelor’s degree in 1995 and her master’s degree in public administration in 1997 and is currently working at UD’s Center for Community Research and Service.

Clayton has many plans for his retirement. He is next year’s president of the Friends of Goodstay Gardens. His Steinway piano has just been restored, and he is looking forward to having the time to rebuild his musical skills.
The Claytons have a summer home in Maine’s lake country, where he will be able to spend more time. He’s also had part-time employment offers but wants to take the summer off before making any decisions. Meantime, he said, his most challenging task is cleaning out the accumulated memorabilia of a long and varied career from his office.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Jack Buxbuam

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