Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-30

among VnglnlanS IOoay.
Who is Garland Gray?
AS chairman of the Comm
has given his name to the mo
Iginia has faced in a long time
some say, since the Civil War.
The Gray Commission report
offers plan to avoid compulsory
attendance at ptegiated public
schools. The CLIMAX will come
January 9 when Virginians vote
on its most disputed feature
State grants for tuition in pri-
ivate non-sectarian schools.
Garland Gray is the father of
four children. He's a grandfather
of five more.
3 Years in Private School
You cannot emphasize too
strongly" he told me. that my
wife and and our four children
all went to public schools" Crit
les of the Gray plan charge it
would undermine the public
school system.
AS matter of fact. Mr.. Gray's
first three years of education
were spent in a private school.
But that was because his father
did not want to wait until his
son reached Z years of age to be
admitted to public schools.
The boy-an only child-was
started at Miss Alice Pasteu-'s
lWaverly Home School.
1T was a one-room school
land the tuition was $3.50 a
month" Mr.. Gray says, Il was
surrounded by girls"
| He was graduated from pub
lie high school at Is; took his
lB.A. degree from the University
of Richmond at 10, at which age
he was given a job as principal
of the Bland County High
School. He turned that down
though. to spend one more year
at Washington & Lee Univer-
sity to get his MA. degree.
/ His formal education had been
completed by the time he was
20. He was % when he was
appointed to his first term on
the Sussex County School Board
here.
/ Mr.. Gray is an affiuent bank
Ter and farm operator. He drives
a Cadillac. He made his for
tune in the lumber business
which he inherited from his
father.
Twice Size Of Arlington
Today he owns between
80. 900 and 10000 acres" in four
Southeastern Virginia counties
by his own estimate. That's
more than twice the area OF
Arlington County. A close friend
told me this estimate is con-
iServative.
In any case. 10000 acres
would be less than one half O.
the land holdings of the lumber
business from which he retired
i'm 1852.
Mr.. Gray is a reticent man
one who doesn't take too well to
publicity. apparently. He's a man
Iof charitable attitudes, but won't
talk much about his charities.
He gave me an interview only
after much persuasion.
The Northern press" he be-
iieves, does not view the racial
problems of the South with SYM
lpathy and understanding.
In Mr.. Gray's home county of
Sussex, the Negro school enroll
ment is about 10 per cent of the
total. In his opinion, it is essen
tlal that the tuition grant plan
be approved-but that's beside
the point of this interview.
Perhaps it's suitable to give
his answer to my last question
first:
mo, have never been a mem
Der Of the Ku Klux Khan"
The que ton seemed ridiculous
to me after talking with Mr..
Gray for more than two hours.
Allied with Byrd
Mr.. Gray is a conservative. In
l953--one of the times he figured
| in speculation for the lieutenant
governorship-he said. in part:
THE people of Virginia for a
long time have demonstrated
IA genuine confidence in the So
called Byrd organization OF
which I am proud to be a part
The welfare of that organiza-
ton is Of the utmost importance
to me-"
Today he figures in specula-
ton for the governorship in
1857.
Mr.. Gray was born in the saw
mill village OF Gray, Va. a few
miles north of the North Caro-
lima line. on November %. 1901
Like other leading citizens OF
Virginia, his family gave its
name to town. For instance
there is a Stanleytown, named
for the Governors family, and
there's Bassett, identified with
THE family of Gov. Stanley's
wife. the former Anne Pocahon-
tas Bassett.
Mr.. Clay's father. Elmon Lee
Gray tno relation to Robert e.
was prosperous lumberman and
mill operator. Elmon Lee, in
turn. had taken over the lumber
business established by his
father about 1884.
! Asked about the name Lee
IN the family, Mr.. Gray told me,
MY grandparents came here
from Sussex County, Del, by the
way-about 1881. My grand
l. A.. A