William H. Gray (congressman)

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William Herbert Gray III (August 20, 1941–) served as president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund (1991–2004). He was an influential member of the United States House of Representatives in the 1980s and minister in Philadelphia.

[edit] Early life

He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but grew up in North Philadelphia where he graduated from Simon Gratz High School. He attended Franklin and Marshall College, were he received a bachelor's degree in 1963. He went on to obtain a master's in divinity from Drew Theological Seminary in 1966 and a similar degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1970. Gray received a L.H.D. from Bates College in 1994.

[edit] Professional life

In 1972, he 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 1978. He represented Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1978 until his resignation on September 11, 1991. He was the first African-American to chair the House Budget Committee and also the first to serve as the Majority Whip (1989–1991). As chairman of the Committee on Budget, Gray introduced H.R. 1460, 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 1986 (H.R. 4868).

Gray resigned from Congress in 1991 to serve as President of the United Negro College Fund from 1991 to 2004. He served as a special adviser to the President and Secretary of State for Haitian affairs in 1994.

Outside of politics he is also a businessman who has been a Director at Dell from 2000. He is also a director of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Prudential Financial Inc., Rockwell International Corporation, Visteon Corporation and Pfizer. He still serves an ordained minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church and is Vice President of "Pew Foster Care" services. He currently works for the firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Washington, DC.

[edit] Personal

He is married to the former Andrea Dash; they have three sons, William IV, Justin and Andrew. Gray is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

[edit] External links

• William H. Gray (congressman) at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Bio with picture from the National Council of Churches
• Forbes
• Dell Profile
• Pew foster care

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