The Tennessee Board of Regents recently honored Tennessee Tech University alumnus John Clayton with the TBR Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy because of his generous gifts of funding and hope to our chemistry department and its students.

Clayton's contributions include gifts and fundraising efforts to refurbish the Chemistry department's Northrup-Clayton 21st Century Auditorium, donations of more than $200,000 for scholarships and general funds, and the establishment of the Chemistry Laboratory Teaching Fund to upgrade and modernize instrumentation used in undergraduate chemistry laboratories.

“Dr. John Clayton is a great friend of TTU's Chemistry Department," says Scott Northrup, Chemistry professor and former department chairperson. "His generous gifts have allowed our department to continue to move forward, make innovations, dream dreams, and keep our optimism even in tight budget times. The mere mention of the name 'Clayton' is a morale booster for our faculty.”

Clayton, senior vice president for Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at Schering-Plough HealthCare Products in Memphis, is responsible for research and development, regulatory affairs, toxicology, clinical research, and prescription-to-over-the-counter drug transformation programs. A loyal donor to TTU for some 14 years, his efforts have resulted in donations totaling almost $190,000 from Schering-Plough Inc. through equipment and funds in support of our chemistry laboratories.

The upgraded facilities eventually impact an annual enrollment of more than 1,600 science, basic engineering and health pre-professional majors taking general chemistry classes here. He also initiated the Faculty Enrichment Fund in the department to restore travel funding in support of faculty development.

Clayton currently serves as a member of the TTU College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors and on the TTU Health Science Pre-Professional Advisory Board. He earned the TTU Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999 and was honored with the Distinguished Service to Pharmacy Award by the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1993.

After earning his bachelor's degree in Chemistry here in 1968, Clayton earned his doctoral degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Tennessee Medical Unit.

The Chancellor's Award, given to those who provide special assistance to a TBR institution and whose financial support and leadership provide significant impact to the school, was presented to Clayton by Regent Noble Cody in the newly renovated Northrup-Clayton 21st Century Auditorium (see sidebar).

Since its inception in 2003, the TBR Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy has been awarded to individuals and families nominated by TTU — Lem and Donna McSpadden, C. Stephen Lynn, and the Scott Edwards family. TTU nominee Harry Stonecipher won the first TBR Regents' Award for Excellence in Philanthropy, and Judy and Jerry Davis of Jacksonville, Fla., also were past winners nominated by the university.