Retired professor and administrator Dr. C.G. Gray, who was instrumental in bringing educational technology to students and professors at Abilene Christian University, died Feb. 4, 2020, at age 92, in Lubbock, Texas.
A visitation with the family will be held Friday, Feb. 7 from 5-7 p.m. in the Family Room at University Church of Christ (733 E. North 16th St., Abilene, Texas 79601). A service will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 8 in the UCC Chapel, with a family graveside service to follow at Elmwood Memorial Park.
Gray was born Feb. 10, 1927, in Lunenburg, Arkansas, and graduated from Wellington High School in 1945. His enrollment at Texas Tech University was interrupted by deployment with the U.S. Army from 1945-47 in Germany following World War II. He then returned to Texas Tech, where he graduated with a B.S.Ed. in 1950, an M.Ed. in 1952, and an Ed.D. in 1965. He also did post-doctoral work at Texas Woman’s University with an emphasis in reading.
He met Barbara Jeanne Morlan (’45) while the two were teaching at Lubbock (Texas) High School. They married June 30, 1951, and their four sons were born while they lived in Lubbock.
After classroom teaching, he became a counselor and assistant principal at Lubbock’s Monterey High School, before distributing materials on behalf of SRA, an educational publishing company. His work for SRA required the family to relocate in Kansas, Illinois, Texas and California.
He moved back to Dallas to serve in the Region X Education Service Center and later, the Dallas Independent School District, where his involvement with educational computing began. In 1981, the Grays moved to Abilene where they both joined ACU – C.G. as dean of the College of Professional Studies and Barbara as a part-time instructor and later, assistant professor and coordinator of reading and study skills courses in the General Studies program. She retired in 1993 as associate professor emerita of academic advance.
C.G. was named vice president for academic affairs in 1982, returned to full-time teaching as professor of education in 1988, was named vice president for information services in 1990, and retired in 1996 as professor emeritus of education.
Gray had a lifelong love of literacy and understood its importance for advancing equity in education. As such, he continued this work well into his retirement years by first volunteering alongside Barbara as reading tutors at Abilene’s Jane Long Elementary School before developing and overseeing an afterschool reading program at the University Church of Christ that served Taylor Elementary students. He also served for decades with Rotary International and United Way.
In 1972, the Grays established the Grover C. Morlan Medal award program to annually recognize an outstanding graduate of ACU’s teacher education program.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and Bertha Gray; an infant son, Charles; and Barbara, his wife of 65 years.
Among survivors are sons John Gray (’78), David Gray (’79) and Dr. Cary Gray (’82); six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother, Cecil Gray.
— Ron Hadfield
Feb. 7, 2020