David Gray (1870–1968)[1] was best known as the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 15 April 1940 until 28 June 1947.[2] His official title was 'Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary' and his official residence was Florida.[3] In his own words, his appointment to the Ambassadorship was nepotic, as he was First Lady's Eleanor Roosevelt's uncle through marriage.[4] Gray was the Ambassador through most of the Second World War and the start of the Cold War. He led American efforts to convince Ireland to enter the war on the side of the Allies. His performance was such that Éamon de Valera sought repeatedly to have Gray replaced by another ambassador, especially after the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.[5]
The character of David Gray was played in the RTÉ television series Caught in a Free State by the actor O. Z. Whitehead.
As a Roosevelt family member, Gray wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt, as well as Eleanor Roosevelt a number of dry verses and remarks to the President, sometimes humorous and sometimes scathing in his opinion's of De Valera and Irish policy towards the War.
| “ | Since that time there is no record of his having done what was generous or noble or wise, only what he believed served 'the 'Cause'... he regarded hiself as 'The Cause'... What was good for de Valera became good for Ireland. There was no honest view other than his... he dedicated himself to justifying his mistakes and making them stand in history as not being mistakes...[6] | ” |
Senior lecturer in U.S. Foreign Policy, Timothy J. Lynch, has observed that 'his animus towards his host nation made Gray atypical of American ambassadors in Dublin'.[7]
Gray donated many of his personal papers to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library before his death, including extensive correspondence.
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