$25 million gift from James “Jim” Clayton and his family for expansion of museum

Muse Knoxville has received a transformational $25 million gift from James “Jim” L. Clayton and the Clayton Family Foundation, a move President and CEO Allison Comer hailed as pivotal for the museum’s future.

Jim Clayton, who founded Clayton Homes and later sold it to Berkshire Hathaway, established the Clayton Family Foundation in 1990 to benefit generations of Tennesseans. Under his leadership, the foundation became one of the South’s largest philanthropic organizations, supporting a range of cultural, educational, and community initiatives.

Clayton’s own story is rooted in humble beginnings. Born in Finger, Tennessee, he grew up on a sharecropper’s farm. From driving mules for a bit of pay, he went on to earn an engineering degree and a law degree from the University of Tennessee.

He founded Clayton Homes in 1966 and led it to become the nation’s largest producer of manufactured housing before selling it in 2003

He and his late brother, Joe Clayton, first launched a used-car business before transitioning to mobile homes.

Joe tragically died in a 2020 helicopter crash, an event Jim Clayton survived.

Jim Clayton’s family remains active in his legacy.

His son, Kevin T. Clayton, has served as the president and CEO of Clayton Homes since 1999.

Other children include Amy Stevens, Jimmy Clayton, and Karen Davis, who, along with the broader Clayton family, continue to steward the foundation’s work.

The $25 million gift from the foundation will serve as the cornerstone of Muse Knoxville’s expansion into the historic Jacob Building, more than doubling the museum’s footprint.

The additional space will enable Muse to introduce new exhibits, expand community and school programming, and better accommodate over 2,300 visitors who are currently wait-listed each year due to fire-code limits.

Allison Comer called the gift “more than just financial support—a catalyst for community transformation.”

The donation builds on an existing partnership between the museum and the Clayton Foundation, which has recently supported exhibits such as Weather Wonders and a Mini Food City play area.

With the Clayton family’s sustained generosity and deep roots in East Tennessee, Muse Knoxville is now on track to become an even stronger hub of discovery, inclusion, and inspiration for families across the region.