William B. Gray
{{For|the British colonial administrator and civil servant|William Bain Gray}}
{{Short description|American attorney and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = William B. Gray
|image = File:BillGray.png
|caption = Gray in 1988
|office1 = United States Attorney for the District of Vermont
|term_start1 = 1977
|term_end1 = 1981
|appointer1 = Jimmy Carter
|predecessor1 = George W. F. Cook
|successor1 = Jerome O'Neill
|office2 = Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys
|term_start2 = 1975
|term_end2 = 1977
|predecessor2 = Gerald D. Fines
|successor2 = William P. Tyson
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|02|14}}
|birth_place = Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S.
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|03|22|1942|02|14}}
|death_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
|restingplace = West Hill Cemetery, Putney, Vermont
|spouse = Sarah Kerlin (m. 1965-1994, his death)
|children = 2
|relations = Bob Gray (brother)
Molly Gray (niece)
|education = {{ ubl | Harvard College | University of Pennsylvania Law School}}
|occupation = {{ ubl | Attorney | Public official }}
}}
William B. Gray (February 14, 1942 – March 22, 1994) was an American attorney and political figure from Vermont. He is best known for his service as United States Attorney for the District of Vermont from 1977 to 1981, managing the successful 1986 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, and running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against Republican Jim Jeffords in 1988.
Early life
William Barton Gray was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, on February 14, 1942,{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} the son of Edwin and Mabel Gray.{{sfn|"Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Unstoppable Bob Gray"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}} His father managed buildings and grounds maintenance at the Putney School, and his mother ran the school's kitchen.{{sfn|"Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Unstoppable Bob Gray"}} Gray's siblings included Olympic skier Bob Gray.{{sfn|"Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Unstoppable Bob Gray"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}}
He was raised in Putney, Vermont, and attended the Putney School, from which he graduated in 1960.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} He then attended Harvard College, from which he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}} While at Harvard, Gray was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club and the Krokodiloes.{{sfn|"Engagement Announcement, Sarak Kerlin and William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Several to Go Abroad"}} In 1967, Gray received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and attained admission to the bar.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
In addition to pursuing a legal career, Gray was an amateur singer, and during his years as a prosecutor in New York City his musical activities included performing as an extra in La bohème with the Metropolitan Opera and performing with the New York Choral Society.{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}} After returning to Vermont, he became a member of Burlington's Musica Propria choral group.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} He was also an avid cross-country skier, bicyclist, and runner, and took part in several marathons.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
Start of career
From 1967 to 1968, Gray was a law clerk in the office of federal judge Sterry R. Waterman.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} From 1968 to 1972 he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} From 1972 to 1975, Gray was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} In 1975, he was appointed an Associate Deputy U.S. Attorney General and Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
United States Attorney
In 1977, Gray left the director's position to become United States Attorney for the District of Vermont during the presidential administration of Jimmy Carter.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}} He served until the end of Carter's administration in 1981 and was succeeded by Jerome O'Neill.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
Among the notable prosecutions Gray handled as U.S. Attorney was the controversial 1978 case of Kristina Berster, who had been arrested at the U.S.-Canada border in Vermont and was accused by the government in West Germany of being a member of the Red Army Faction terrorist group.{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Baader‐Meinhof Suspect Is Seized"}} Berster faced an eight-count indictment for passport violations and illegally crossing the border.{{sfn|"Berster Jury Nearly Complete"}} No links to terrorism were proved, but there were allegations of illegal surveillance and false testimony made against U.S. law enforcement agencies.{{sfn|"FBI Photographed Berster Advocates During Trial"}} Berster was convicted of three felonies and two misdemeanors.{{sfn|"Judge Sentences Kristina Berster"}} She was sentenced to nine months in prison, all but two weeks of which she had served while awaiting trial.{{sfn|"Judge Sentences Kristina Berster"}} Charges against her in West Germany were dismissed, and she returned home after finishing her American sentence.{{sfn|"Desire for Freedom Convinced Berster to Leave"}}{{sfn|"1968: A Year of Turmoil; Spielberg Plans Film of Chicago 7 Trial"}}
Gray also prosecuted Gerald Bull, an engineer and weapons designer who operated Space Research Corporation of North Troy.{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}} Bull and a colleague were convicted of illegally selling arms to South Africa in 1980 and served prison sentences.{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}}
Continued career
In 1981, Gray began to practice law in Vermont as a partner in the Burlington firm of Sheehey, Blue, Gray & Furlong.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} In 1986 he left the practice of law to volunteer as the campaign manager for Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}} Leahy was elected to a third term, defeating the Republican nominee, former Governor Richard Snelling in the general election.{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}}
In 1988, Gray won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Robert Stafford.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} In the general election, Gray was defeated by the Republican nominee, Republican Jim Jeffords.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
In 1991, Gray served as chairman of the Vermont Bicentennial Commission, which was created to organize celebrations and activities commemorating Vermont's 1791 admission to the Union as the 14th state.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} He was also a board of directors member for the Vermont Council on the Arts, the Flynn Theater for the Performing Arts, the Putney School, and the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
In 1993, Leahy and Jeffords recommended Gray to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the same seat once held by Sterry Waterman.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} Gray's nomination was still pending at the time of his death.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}
Death and burial
Gray resided on a farm in Jericho and practiced law until he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1993.{{sfn|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}} In addition to his legal practice, he raised sheep, kept bees, and grew Christmas trees and apples.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}}{{sfn|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}} He died on March 22, 1994, while undergoing treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}{{sfn|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}} He was buried at West Hill Cemetery in Putney, Vermont.
Family
In 1965, Gray married Sarah Kerlin of Riverdale, Bronx, New York.{{sfn|"Engagement Announcement, Sarak Kerlin and William Barton Gray"}} They were the parents of son Joshua Barton Gray and daughter Sarah Hawkes Gray.{{sfn|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}} Gray's niece, Molly Gray, was elected lieutenant governor of Vermont in 2020.{{sfn|"Newcomer Molly Gray's LG Bid Has Gained a Lot of Traction. How?"}}
References
{{reflist}}
Sources
=Internet=
- {{cite web |url=http://hr1964.org/obits.htm#Gray |title=Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray |date=1994 |website=HR 1964.org |publisher=Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1964 |location=Cambridge, MA |access-date=November 16, 2019 |ref={{sfnRef|"Class of 1964 Obituaries: William Barton Gray"}}}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1994-05-04/html/CREC-1994-05-04-pt1-PgS6.htm |title=Tribute to William Barton Gray |last=Leahy |first=Patrick |date=May 4, 1994 |website=Congressional Record Online |publisher=U.S., Government Printing Office |author-link=Patrick Leahy |ref={{sfnRef|"Tribute to William Barton Gray"}}}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-the-unstoppable-bob-gray |title=Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Unstoppable Bob Gray |last=Leahy |first=Patrick |date=April 11, 2016 |website=Leahy.Senate.gov |publisher=Office of U.S. senator Patrick Leahy |author-link=Patrick Leahy |ref={{sfnRef|"Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Unstoppable Bob Gray"}}}}
=Newspapers=
- {{cite news |date=June 20, 1964 |title=Several to Go Abroad |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113609970/abroad/ |work=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, VT |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Several to Go Abroad"}}}}
- {{cite news |date=November 3, 1964 |title=Engagement Announcement, Sarak Kerlin and William Barton Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113610048/engaged/ |work=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Engagement Announcement, Sarak Kerlin and William Barton Gray"}}}}
- {{cite news |date=March 30, 1994 |title=Obituary, William B. Gray |url=http://jop.stparchive.com/page_image.php?paper=JOP&year=1994&month=3&day=30&page=6&mode=F&base=JOP03301994P06&title=Journal%20Opinion |work=Bradford Journal-Opinion |location=Bradford, VT |page=6 |via=Small Town Papers, Inc. |ref={{sfnRef|"Obituary, William B. Gray"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Davis |first=Neil |date=November 4, 1979 |title=Desire for Freedom Convinced Berster to Leave |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81356260/berster-leave/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=3B |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Desire for Freedom Convinced Berster to Leave"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Green |first=Susan |date=February 24, 2008 |title=1968: A Year of Turmoil; Spielberg Plans Film of Chicago 7 Trial |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81355831/chicago-7-film/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=3D |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"1968: A Year of Turmoil; Spielberg Plans Film of Chicago 7 Trial"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Bookchin |first=Debbie |date=July 17, 1981 |title=FBI Photographed Berster Advocates During Trial |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81354959/berster-advocates/ |work=Barre Montpelier Times Argus |location=Barre, VT |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"FBI Photographed Berster Advocates During Trial"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Flanders |first=Colin |date=July 29, 2020 |title=Newcomer Molly Gray's LG Bid Has Gained a Lot of Traction. How? |url=https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/newcomer-molly-grays-lg-bid-has-gained-a-lot-of-traction-how/Content?oid=30889122 |work=Vermont Seven Days |location=Burlington, VT |access-date=August 15, 2020 |ref={{sfnRef|"Newcomer Molly Gray's LG Bid Has Gained a Lot of Traction. How?"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Graff |first=Christopher |agency=Associated Press |date=October 5, 1978 |title=Berster Jury Nearly Complete |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81354777/berster-jury/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=B-1 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Berster Jury Nearly Complete"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Polumbaum |first=Judy |date=February 8, 1979 |title=Judge Sentences Kristina Berster |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81355475/sentences-berster/ |work=Rutland Herald |location=Rutland, VT |page=12 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Judge Sentences Kristina Berster"}}}}
- {{cite news |last=Treaster |first=Joseph B. |date=July 1, 1978 |title=Baader‐Meinhof Suspect Is Seized |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/21/archives/baadermeinhof-suspect-is-seized.html |work=The New York Times |location=New York, NY |page=A-7 |via=TimesMachine |ref={{sfnRef|"Baader‐Meinhof Suspect Is Seized"}}}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|22520162}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=James A. Guest}}
{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Vermont
(Class 1)|years=1988}}
{{s-aft|after=Jan Backus}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, William B.}}
Category:Lawyers from Brattleboro, Vermont
Category:Politicians from Brattleboro, Vermont
Category:People from Putney, Vermont
Category:People from Jericho, Vermont
Category:The Putney School alumni
Category:Harvard College alumni
Category:University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni
Category:Assistant United States attorneys
Category:United States attorneys for the District of Vermont
Category:20th-century American politicians