Editing Lionel Hampton (section)

==Charity==
Hampton was deeply involved in the construction of various [[public housing]] projects, and founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation. Construction  began with the Lionel Hampton Houses in [[Harlem, New York]], in the 1960s, with the help of then [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]]. Hampton's wife, Gladys Hampton, also was involved in construction of a housing project in her name, the Gladys Hampton Houses. Gladys died in 1971. In the 1980s, Hampton built another housing project called Hampton Hills in [[Newark, New Jersey]].

Hampton was a staunch [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and served as a delegate to several [[Republican National Convention]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jackson |first=Jeffrey H. |title=Music And History: Bridging The Disciplines |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |year=2005 |page=102 |isbn=1-57806-762-6}}</ref> He served as vice-chairman of the New York Republican County Committee for some years<ref>{{cite news |title=Paid Notice: Deaths HAMPTON, LIONEL |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/classified/paid-notice-deaths-hampton-lionel.html |access-date=June 3, 2007 |work=The New York Times |date=September 10, 2002}}</ref> and also was a member of the New York City Human Rights Commission.<ref name="Voce"/> He served as Director of Special Events for [[Gerald Ford]]'s 1976 re-election campaign.<ref>Deseret News, April 1, 1976, p. 2A, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=19760401&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Some GOP Jazz]</ref> Hampton donated almost $300,000 to Republican campaigns and committees throughout his lifetime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Lionel_Hampton.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311071841/http://newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Lionel_Hampton.php |archive-date=March 11, 2013 |work=NEWSMEAT |title=Campaign Contribution Search: Lionel Hampton, 1908-2002 |publisher=Polity Media}}</ref> However, in 1996 he endorsed Clinton/Gore, saying that the Republican party, which he had joined because it was the party of Lincoln, no longer represented moderates like himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/06/25/Hampton-switches-colors-for-Clinton/1569835675200 |date=June 25, 1996 |title=Hampton Switches Colors for Clinton |website=UPI}}</ref>