Rayford, Allene Knighten   

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A retired university music instructor and resident of Baton Rouge,
 she died Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007. She was a native of Tulsa, Okla. 
Visiting at Mount Zion First Baptist Church, 356 East Blvd., Dr. Rene F. Brown, 
pastor, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 8:30 a.m. until service at 9 a.m. Interment 
in Port Hudson National Cemetery at 11 a.m. She was preceded in death by her 
husbands, Dr. Felton G. Clark and attorney Norbert Cyril Rayford. After two 
years of undergraduate study as a music major at Dillard University in New 
Orleans, her development exceeded fellow students. She was encouraged to 
transfer to the Oberlin (Ohio) Conservatory of Music. She became classmates 
with famed pianists Francis Walker, Tella Marie Cables, Natalie Hinderas and 
Tourgee DeBose. Each of these aspiring young artists were born on the cusp 
of the Harlem Renaissance; soon to be identified as major talents in music 
and given scholarships to study at the L'ecole national de France. Allene 
Knighten was selected to study with renowned organist, Marcel Dupree in Paris. 
Upon returning to the United States, she was employed as principal organist 
for churches in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Extraordinary 
skills and artistic development placed her in the forefront of leading 
musicians at that time. However, the racial climate in America constrained 
her concert career and returned her to African-American roots of professional 
service at historically black colleges and universities as a music professor. 
After a brief tenure at Talladega College, she was recruited by Southern 
University. She became the university's first organist and the historic 
accompanist of the Southern University Concert Choir, Oscar Henry, director. 
Her performance became weekly landmarks at university vespers, convocations 
and major assemblies. The force of her personality, talent and advocacy for 
Southern University led to a union with President Felton G. Clark, elevating 
her to the designation as "First Lady." The signature as Southern University's 
"First Lady" and the temperament of the times enabled her to become a major 
force among the citizens of Baton Rouge. As a board member of the First 
Federal Savings and Loan Association (premiere black savings and loan association), 
she was invaluable as the discreet voice of calm and reason, evidenced through 
service on the Baton Rouge Bi-Racial Committee, the YMCA, Boy Scouts and National 
Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ). As the epitome of the color and reason, 
her countenance prevailed in empathy and respect. Advocacy towards cultural 
exchange and enrichment led to programs to engage in sponsoring overseas 
travel for Baton Rouge citizens through Friends International Inc., fostering 
an unexplored interest in global empathy. Additionally, her leadership in 
Delta Sigma Theta sorority, The Links Inc., Bridge Club Friends, DeBose 
National Piano Competition, the Baton Rouge Center for World Affairs and 
Operation Cross Sight are only a sampling of the breadth of her compassion 
and humanitarian qualities. Southern University and Greater Baton Rouge were 
designated as international forefronts. South Africa President Nelson Mandela 
would never have come to Baton Rouge without her perseverance.  

Published in The Advocate on 9/30/2007.