Politics
William H. Gray III, a pioneering African American congressman dies at 71
Former U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III. PHOTO/AP
Former U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III, who rose to influential positions in Congress and was the first African American to become majority whip, died Monday at 71.
Gray passed away suddenly Monday while in London with one of his sons to attend the Wimbledon tennis championships.
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Gray graduated from Franklin & Marshall College and Drew Theological Seminary in Jersey City, New Jersey, before being elected as a Democrat to Congress in 1978.
He served as chairman of the powerful budget committee and became the first African American in the 20th century to become majority whip of the U.S. House. During his tenure, he authored legislation implementing economic sanctions against apartheid South Africa.
In 1991, he surprised colleagues by resigning to run the United Negro College Fund, for which a biography on his company website says he raised more than US$2.3 billion for minority institutions.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton tapped him as a temporary special adviser on Haiti.
Succeeding his father as pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church in 1972, he continued in that position until 2007.
