Dr. Kirk Clayton, a track and field star, who tied the 100-yards record held by Jesse Owens, dies

By Ro Brown
Contributing Writer

He was a self-described “Louisiana boy who went west and did well.”

Dr. Kirk Marshall Clayton, an educator and world-class track and field athlete passed away in California, Tuesday, January 18, 2022, after a brief but courageous bout with cancer. He was 74.

Born in New Orleans, Clayton burst on to the track and field scene in a big way while attending Xavier Prep in New Orleans and Scotlandville High in Baton Rouge.

DR. KIRK CLAYTON

One of the nation’s best prep sprinters, he led the Scotlandville Hornets to the 1965 Louisiana Interscholastic Athletic and Literary Organization (LIALO) state title. During that championship season Clayton was clocked in 9.4 seconds over 100 yards, tying the high school mark for that distance set in 1933 by track and field immortal, Jesse Owens.

After a year at Grambling State University (Grambling College), where he set the national collegiate freshman mark of 9.3 in the 100, he transferred to San Jose State University — also called “Speed City” due to the deep group of outstanding sprinters on campus.

In 1969, he captained the San Jose State track team to the NCAA Track and Field National Championship. Clayton was a member of the Spartans victorious 4X100 relay team that set an American record with a mark of 39.1 seconds.

The team included three Olympic medalists, John Carlos, Ronnie Ray Smith and Lee Evans.

In 1970, he shattered the great Barney Ewell’s 31-year old 50-yard world record at an indoor meet in Calgary, Canada.

Dr. Clayton went on to a sterling career as an educator working in the public and private sectors and he was a certified special educator in California.

Funeral services for Dr. Kirk Marshall Clayton will be held at Scott’s Bluff Funeral Home, 8546 Senic Hwy, Baton Rouge, La. 70807 on Saturday, February 5, 2022. Viewing at 10 a.m. Service at 11 a.m.

This article originally published in the January 31, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.