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. 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. It is our hope that this particular collection will be explored on the Web site to learn more about the collection and why Dr. Mayme Clayton assembled it, and the goals of the Western States Black Research and Educational Center.

It's a research center, and it's scheduled to receive a Federal grant to refurbish its facilities that are located in my district, Culver City, California. The center will be known as the Mayme Clayton Library. It has housed the largest collection of rare books, films, recordings, and other documents on black Americans outside of the Schomburg Library.

Ms. Clayton's historic efforts have not been in vain, but can rightfully serve as historical and intellectual nourishment for this generation as well as future generations of Americans.

When she learned that there was a location for her rare collection, which she kept in her garage, and I remember going over as a student at UCLA and going through her works for a paper that I had to do, I knew that she would outgrow that space and would have to find a place that could rightfully house such a precious collection. But we found a place for her. It was the old courthouse in Culver City. As you know, you cannot sell a courthouse; so we're on loan. They lent it to us for a period of time, and we're going to see that Federal grants go to that library to preserve this collection.

I am so pleased to put that name into your psyche because she has skillfully, artfully, and scholarly recorded our history, as written by slaves themselves and written by free men.

Mayme Clayton, a true African American heroine.