William h gray iii biography of williams
William H. Gray III
American politician (–)
Bill Gray | |
|---|---|
| In office June 15, – September 11, | |
| Leader | Tom Foley |
| Preceded by | Tony Coelho |
| Succeeded by | David Bonior |
| In office January 3, – June 15, | |
| Leader | Jim Wright Tom Foley |
| Preceded by | Dick Gephardt |
| Succeeded by | Steny Hoyer |
| In office January 3, – January 3, | |
| Preceded by | James R.
Jones |
| Succeeded by | Leon Panetta |
| In office January 3, – September 11, | |
| Preceded by | Robert N. C. Nix Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Lucien E. Blackwell |
| Born | William Herbert Gray III ()August 20, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 1, () (aged71) London, England |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Andrea Dash |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Franklin and Marshall College (BA) Drew University (MDiv) Princeton Theological Seminary (ThM) |
William Herbert Gray III (August 20, – July 1, ) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who represented Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district from to He also served as chairman of the House Committee on the Budget from to and House Majority Whip from to He resigned from Congress in September of that year to become president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund, a position he held until
He was the fourth-highest-ranking member of the House at the time of his resignation and a minister in Philadelphia.
Rev william h gray iii The award, which is given annually by the Roosevelt Institute, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in advancing the principles of freedom and democracy. III —. He also pursued educational goals during this time and received a Master of Theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in Gray, The Rt.He was co-founder of the government lobbying and advisory firm, Gray Loeffler LLC, headquartered in Washington, D.C.[1]
Early life
Gray was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and spent his early years in Florida, where his father was president of Florida Normal and Industrial Institute in Miami Gardens, and then of Florida A & M College in Tallahassee.
In , upon the death of his grandfather, Gray's family moved to North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Simon Gratz High School. He attended Franklin & Marshall College, where he received a bachelor's degree in He went on to obtain a master's in divinity from Drew Theological Seminary in and a master's in theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in Gray received a L.H.D.
from Bates College in
Career
In , Gray succeeded his father as the senior minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia. He was elected as a Democrat to represent Philadelphia in the United States House of Representatives in He represented Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district in the House of Representatives from until his resignation on September 11, He was the first African-American to chair the House Budget Committee and also the first to serve as the Majority Whip (–).
As chairman of the Committee on Budget, Gray introduced H.R. , an anti-Apartheid bill that prohibited loans and new investment in South Africa and enforced sanctions on imports and exports with South Africa. This bill was an instrumental precursor to the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of (H.R.
William h gray iii biography of williams In , he resigned from Congress to become the president of the United Negro College Fund, a move that surprised many. Gray also pushed hard for sanctions against the apartheid government then in control of the nation of South Africa. William Herschel and the Discovery of the Planet Uranus. Gray's legacy will continue to inspire future generations of Americans to follow in his footsteps and strive for a better and more equitable country.).
Gray resigned unexpectedly from Congress in to serve as president of the United Negro College Fund from to The move was considered surprising and prompted speculation that it may have been connected with an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by the Gray team. A Pennsylvania Senate seat had been left vacant when Senator John Heinz was killed in a plane crash.
Major-party candidates were chosen by the party committees because it was too late for a primary. The speculation was that Attorney General Dick Thornburgh struck a deal with Gray, who not only had been the subject of an investigation into campaign finance irregularities but also a grand jury investigation into his church's financial affairs.
It was reported that Gray agreed not run in the special election and in return Thornburgh would drop the investigations. Thornburgh resigned as Attorney General and ran for the Senate seat himself, though he lost in an upset to Democrat Harris Wofford.[2][3][4][5][6]
Gray served as a special adviser to the President and Secretary of State for Haitian affairs in He was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Pennsylvania's Top Political Activists."[7]
Outside politics he was also a businessman who has been a director at Dell from Gray was a director of J.P.
Morgan Chase & Co., Prudential Financial Inc., Rockwell International Corporation, Visteon Corporation and Pfizer. He retired from Bright Hope Baptist Church in and was succeeded by Kevin R. Johnson.
Personal life
Gray was married to the former Andrea Dash; they had three sons. Gray was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Gray died on July 1, , in London, while attending the Wimbledon tennis tournament.[8]
Awards and honors
In he received the Four Freedoms Award for the Freedom of Worship.[9]
In President Barack Obama signed U.S. House resolution directing Amtrak to rename Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to William H.
Gray III 30th Street Station.[10]
See also
References
- ^.William Gray's Profile on
- ^"Did Dick Cut Bill A Deal? Book: Thornburgh Had Goods On Gray - philly-archives".
William h gray iii biography of williams sisters: In the United States, executive agreem Gray, Spalding Gray, Shimmy. William Derham.
The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 24, Retrieved July 23,
- ^"Why Would Gray Resign? Several Ideas Are Floated - philly-archives". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 24, Retrieved July 23,
- ^"Thornburgh Aide Linked to Gray Leak: Congress: A Justice Department probe says the chief spokesman and an ex-FBI official confirmed a damaging report on House Democratic leader.William h gray iii biography of williams brothers In Gray sued a Montclair landlord who, Gray contended, had refused him an apartment because of his race. Latest Posts. Gray III, the African-American politician and former Congressman, had a childhood that was steeped in academia and the civil rights movement. Gray III's early life was marked by a deep appreciation for education, a commitment to social justice, and a strong faith.
- latimes". Los Angeles Times. April 20, Retrieved July 23,
- ^"Editorials & Opinion The Conniving Ways Of Dick Thornburgh". Retrieved July 23,
- ^Black Americans in Congress, .William h gray iii biography of williams wife Grayden, Sprague. III —. The former Andrea Dash, whom Gray was married to, must have been his better half as they were together for many years. William Heberden.
United States Congress. October 3, p. ISBN. Retrieved July 23,
- ^"Pennsylvania's Top Political Activists". PoliticsPA.
- ABOUT - Gray Memorial
- Settings
- | Explorations in Black Leadership, U.Va.
- Carousel
The Publius Group. Archived from the original on November 13,
- ^"Former Congressman William Gray dies". UPI. Retrieved July 2,
- ^"Four Freedoms Awards Roosevelt Institute". Archived from the original on March 25, Retrieved May 13,
- ^Fattah, Chaka (August 8, ).
"Text - H.R - th Congress (): To redesignate the railroad station located at Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commonly known as "30th Street Station", as the "William H. Gray III 30th Street Station"".
- William h gray iii biography of williams sisters
- William h gray iii biography of williams family
- William h gray iii biography of williams death
. Retrieved April 17,
External links
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Precededby Robert N. C. Nix Sr. | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district – | Succeededby Lucien E. Blackwell |
| Precededby James R. Jones | Chair of the House Budget Committee – | Succeededby Leon Panetta |
| Precededby Tony Coelho | House Majority Whip – | Succeededby David Bonior |
| Party political offices | ||
| Precededby Les AuCoin, Joe Biden, Bill Bradley, Robert Byrd, Tom Daschle, Bill Hefner, Barbara B. Kennelly, George Miller, Tip O'Neill, Paul Tsongas, Tim Wirth | Response to the State of the Union address Served alongside: Max Baucus, Joe Biden, David L. Boren, Barbara Boxer, Robert Byrd, Dante Fascell, Tom Harkin, Dee Huddleston, Carl Levin, Tip O'Neill, Claiborne Pell | Succeededby Bill Clinton |
| Precededby Bill Clinton | Response to the State of the Union address Served alongside: Tom Daschle, George Mitchell, Chuck Robb, Harriett Woods | Succeededby Robert Byrd |
| Precededby Dick Gephardt | Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | Succeededby Steny Hoyer |
| Precededby Tony Coelho | House Democratic Whip – | Succeededby David Bonior |