James A. Gray, Jr.
| James A. Gray, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the district |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James A. Gray, Jr. August 21, 1889 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.A. |
| Died | October 29, 1952 (aged 63) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Pauline |
| Children | 6 |
| Residence | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Occupation | President and Chairman of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 1935-1949 |
James Alexander Gray, Jr. (August 21, 1889 – October 29, 1952) was a former president and chairman of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was the brother of fellow R.J. Reynolds president Bowman Gray, Sr. He also served as a North Carolina state senator for two terms and as a philanthropist, donated to a variety of educational causes in North Carolina.
Gray was born in Winston-Salem to Wachovia co-founder James Alexander Gray and the former Aurelia Bowman. After receiving his primary and secondary education in his hometown, Gray graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1908. He became a clerk at Wachovia, eventually rising within 10 years to a position as vice-president. In 1919, Gray joined the board of directors at Wachovia, on which he remained the rest of his life.
Gray lived in the house he was born in for his entire life. He married Pauline L. Bahnson on April 18, 1918, and they had six children—James Jr., Bahnson, Howard, Christine, Pauline, and Aurelia. He attended Centenary United Methodist Church, and his nephew was Gordon Gray.
In 1912, Gray's brother Bowman moved his family to Winston to take up his new position of vice-president and director of R. J. Reynolds, hand-picked by R. J. Reynolds himself to head the company's finance division. In 1924, Bowman was promoted to president of the company to succeed Reynolds' brother William Neal Reynolds, and in 1932 Bowman became the chairman of the board of directors.
Gray served two terms in the North Carolina State Senate as a Democrat. He co-introduced North Carolina's first state income tax.
Gray followed his brother to R.J. Reynolds from Wachovia in 1920, and he took over the helm of Reynolds Co. himself in 1935. As vice-president, Gray lowered the company's debt and listed it on the . As president, Gray served as chairman longer than anyone except for R.J. Reynolds himself, and he used innovative marketing techniques to propel the company's Camel brand back into popularity as the top-selling cigarette brand. In 1939, Gray installed vacuum conditioners, which allowed the company to end the use of sweathouses. Gray also developed an American source for the company's paper production, which had previously been imported. In July 1950, Gray was featured on the cover of Fortune magazine for his success at Reynolds.
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