A jewel of a restoration

"Party in the Stacks" shows off renovated Clayton Library

Photo by Dave Rossman
Photo by Dave Rossman
Photo By Dave Rossman
Photo by Dave Rossman
Photo by Dave Rossman
Photo by Dave Rossman
Photo by Dave Rossman

The beautifully restored Clayton House was the main attraction at the third annual "Party in the Stacks" fundraiser for the Houston Public Library Foundation.

A languid lawn party feeling permeated the grounds of the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in the Museum District as guests toured the newly renovated home where Anderson Clayton founder William Clayton lived until his death in 1966, feasted on a buffet of fried chicken strips, deviled eggs, and biscuits with gravy, sipped Old Fashioneds, and listened to Yvonne Washington and the Mix perform in a backyard tent amid crepe myrtles, roses and other vegetation that was popular in Houston in the early 1900s.

The Clayton family gave the three-story brick Georgian-style house, designed by Birdsall P. Briscoe and built in 1917, to the city of Houston in 1958. Ten years later, it became the center for the library's genealogical collection. In 1988, a new building was constructed in the same style next door.The main home had fallen into a state of disrepair before the recent six-year renovation.

"I truly believe we saved a historic building from the wrecking ball," said Susan Clayton Garwood, the great-great granddaughter of WIlliam Clayton and honorary chair of the event. "It took a village, but we got it done."

She recalled that when she was little, "we had dinner here every Friday night. I was three or four years old, and I had to sit on a telephone book at the dinner table."

Garwood urged guests to research their family genealogy at the center, where monthly sessions are offered from beginner to advanced levels. "No Internet search can come close to the Clayton," she said. "So get your pencil ready."

Also on hand, Mayor Annise Parker who praised the city's specialty libraries but lamented recent budget cuts that have severly curtailed library hours.

"It is going to be a struggle for parents and kids to get those library hours in," Parker said, while noting the increase in library volunteers as a result of the crisis.

"We're going to tap into that wellspring of attachment to the library," Parker vowed. "It's not the size of library, it's the books you find inside."

Also on hand: Houston Public Library Foundation board chair Cathryn Rodd Selman, council members Melissa Noriega and Wanda Williams, event chair Cyvia Wolff, HPLF president Susan Bischoff and husband, Jim Barlow, Nene Foxhall and Steve Jetton, Andrea White, Jack and Ginger Blanton, and Bill and Melissa King.

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Raising Expectations

3 nights of Michelin-starred cuisine fuel Houston nonprofit’s mission

Genuine Cup Hope and Opportunity Dinners 2026

Photo by Jenny Antill

This team came together to execute the Hope and Opportunity dinners.

Fine dining dished with purpose? We’ll have seconds, please.

The Genuine Cup’s second annual Hope and Opportunity Dinner Series brought three evenings of Spanish-inspired hospitality to Soleil June 11-13, raising $665,350 to expand employment pathways and opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Co-founders Ignacio Torras and Lorna Ortiz welcomed approximately 300 guests across three sold-out dinners for a culinary collaboration featuring Spain’s celebrated Roca Brothers of El Celler de Can Roca alongside Houston chefs who lead four of the city’s six Michelin-starred restaurants — Felipe Botero (Le Jardinier), Felipe Riccio (March), Mayank Istwal (Musaafer), and Luis Roger (BCN).

Attendees began with Spanish-inspired bites and wine pairings before settling in for a multi-course tasting menu accompanied by Edward Grigassy’s live Spanish guitar performance, creating an evening that felt more Barcelona than Boulevard.

“This event is about more than raising funds — it’s about raising expectations,” said Torras. “Every individual deserves the opportunity to contribute, succeed, and be recognized for their talents. Through hospitality, sport, and community, we are creating pathways that help make that possible.”

The program spotlighted the Genuine Cup’s mission through remarks from Senator Ted Cruz, Commissioner Lesley Briones, and Robert Rule, whose story as a Genuine Cup athlete and Rocambolesc employee reinforced the importance of meaningful employment opportunities for neurodiverse individuals.

Throughout the dinners, members of the Genuine Cup community played active roles in the guest experience.

Funds will benefit the Genuine Cup, an international soccer tournament that will bring together athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Houston from July 27 - August 1. In total, teams from 50 countries will participate in the event, which is being held at Rice Stadium.

On the scene were Anne and Karl Stern, Ivan Perez, Kathleen Sledge, Tony and Francis Buzbee, Daniel Briones, Albert and Anne Chao, Sammi and Mithu Malick, Michael and Megan Bartz, David and Laura Piccione, William and Constanza Restrepo, Neil and Elizabeth Chapman, Kyle and Erin Cummings, and Heidi and Senator Ted Cruz.

Photo by Jenny Antill

This team came together to execute the Hope and Opportunity dinners.

chefs fundraisers