Kenneth J. Gray
| Kenneth J. Gray | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 25th district |
|
|
In office January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1963 |
|
| Preceded by | C. W. Bishop |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 21st district |
|
|
In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1973 |
|
| Preceded by | Peter F. Mack, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Edward R. Madigan |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 24th district |
|
|
In office January 3, 1973 – December 31, 1974 |
|
| Preceded by | Melvin Price |
| Succeeded by | Paul Simon |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 22nd district |
|
|
In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Paul Simon |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Poshard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 14, 1924 West Frankfort, Illinois |
| Died | July 12, 2014 (aged 89) Herrin, Illinois |
| Spouse(s) | Gwendolyn June Croslin (1927-1995) Margaret "Toedy" Holley-Gray |
| Children | 3 |
Kenneth James Gray (November 14, 1924 – July 12, 2014) was an American businessman and politician. He was a veteran of World War II, and represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives from 1955 to 1974, and again from 1985 to 1989.
Born in West Frankfort, Illinois, Gray attended the West Frankfort and Pope County elementary schools and graduated from Frankfort Community High School. At age 13 Gray started a business -– Gray’s Roller Rink -– at which he performed almost every job alone, from floor manager to concession stand cashier to janitor. At age 16, he became an auctioneer, and at age 18 he became the owner of the Gray Motors car dealership, which he operated until 1954.
In January, 1943 Gray enlisted in the Army Air Forces for World War II. He served as with the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa, with the combat engineers of the Fifth Army in Italy, and again with the Twelfth Air Force in Southern France and elsewhere in Europe. Gray was an aircraft crew chief and attained the rank of first sergeant before being discharged in December 1945.
According to the authors of Pass the Plate, a 2009 biography of Gray, he was at the Greenham Common air base in June, 1944 and was assigned as Dwight D. Eisenhower's driver when Eisenhower met with Company E, 502nd Infantry Regiment shortly before the unit boarded planes and departed for the assault on Normandy. The authors also indicate that Gray can be seen in the well-known photo of Eisenhower speaking with soldiers including First Lieutenant Wallace C. Strobel.
...
Wikipedia