About Clay Brittain Jr.

Clay Brittain Jr. (1929-2016) was born in Winston-Salem, N.C., and attended the University of North Carolina. He was a pioneer in promoting tourism along the Grand Strand as well as throughout South Carolina. Brittain was chairman of the board of Myrtle Beach National Golf Club, Inc., and was involved in many business enterprises in the Grand Strand area. In 1952, he leased and, with a partner, eventually purchased the Chesterfield Inn in Myrtle Beach, which he managed until 1991.

In 1962, he opened the Sea Captain's House restaurant. Brittain was an active member of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce since the 1950s. He served on the board of directors of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association. In 1995, Brittain was named an honorary founder of Coastal Carolina University, and in 1997, he received the Jason Ammons Free Enterprise Award from the Wall College of Business. He was a member of the Coastal Educational Foundation since 1976, including a term as vice president. Brittain was instrumental in the establishment of Coastal's Professional Golf Management program, which is endorsed by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA).

To recognize his efforts, Coastal Carolina University named the resort tourism center The Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism in 2001.