George Gray (senator)
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This article is about the former Senator from Delaware, for other persons with the same name, see George Gray (disambiguation).
| George Gray | |
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| Attorney General of Delaware U.S. Senator from Delaware |
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| Born | May 4, 1840 New Castle, Delaware |
| Died | August 7, 1925 New Castle, Delaware |
| Residence | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Political party | Democratic |
George Gray (May 4, 1840 – August 7, 1925) was an American lawyer, judge and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware.
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[edit] Early life and family
Gray was born May 4, 1840 in New Castle, Delaware. He attended the common schools and graduated from Princeton University in 1859. He studied law with his father and attended Harvard Law School, and was admitted to the bar in 1863 and commenced practice in New Castle.
[edit] Political career
Gray served as Attorney General of Delaware from 1879 to 1885. He resigned this position upon election as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of U.S. Senator Thomas F. Bayard, Sr.. Gray was reelected in 1887 and 1893, and served in the Senate from March 18, 1885, until March 3, 1899.
During his service as U.S. Senator, Gray was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Patents and the U.S. Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections in the 53rd Congress. In the 53rd Congress he was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Revolutionary Claims. He was a member of the Joint High Commission which met in Quebec in August 1898 to settle differences between the United States and Canada. He also served as a member of the commission to arrange terms of peace between the United States and Spain in 1898 to end the Spanish-American War.
After failing in his bid for reeelection in 1898, Gray was appointed judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President William McKinley, serving from 1899 until 1914. During this time he was chairman of the commission to investigate conditions of the coal strike in Pennsylvania in 1902, and was largely responsible for its settlement. He was also a member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution from 1890 until 1925, and vice president and trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
President William McKinley appointed him to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in 1900, and he was subsequently reappointed in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1912 by PresidentWilliam Taft, and in 1920 by President Woodrow Wilson. He was also a member of several commissions established to arbitrate various international disputes.
[edit] Death and legacy
Gray died August 7, 1925 in Wilmington, Delaware, and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery at New Castle, Delaware.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. |
U. S. Senator from Delaware (class 1) March 18, 1885 – March 3, 1899 |
Succeeded by L. Heisler Ball [1] |
[edit] Public offices
Elections are held the first week of November. At this time U.S. Senators were elected by the Delaware General Assembly for a term of six years and took office March 4th.
| Office | Type | Location | Party | Elected | Took Office | Left Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Attorney General | Executive | Dover | Democratic | 1879 | March 18, 1885 | |
| U.S. Senate | Legislature | Washington | Democratic | 1885 | March 18, 1885 | March 3, 1887 |
| U.S. Senate | Legislature | Washington | Democratic | 1887 | March 4, 1887 | March 3, 1893 |
| U.S. Senate | Legislature | Washington | Democratic | 1893 | March 4, 1893 | March 3, 1899 |
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Pickett, Russell S.. U.S. & Delaware History.
- U.S. Congress (2005). Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. Retrieved December 24, 2005.
[edit] Images
- U.S. Congress. Biographical Directory.
[edit] External links
- Kestenbaum, Lawrence. The Political Graveyard.
- Find a Grave. George Gray.
[edit] Places with more information
- The University of Delaware Library, Special Collections 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965.
- Newark Free Library 750 Library Ave.,Newark Delaware (302) 731-7550.
- Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library 2nd and High St. Odessa Delaware (302) 378-8838.
- Historical Society of Delaware 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161.
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