William H. Gray III
William Herbert Gray III (August 20, 1941 – July 1, 2013) represented Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district from 1979 to 1991. He also served as chairman of the House Committee on the Budget from 1985 to 1989 and House Majority Whip from 1989 to 1991. To date, he remains the highest-ranking elected official to serve in federal government from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since Reconstruction.
Throughout his tenure, the Congressman was dedicated to promoting civil rights and economic advancement in Philadelphia, the United States and through the world. He was a chief opponent of the apartheid system in South Africa and authored the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 credited as an instrumental action in bringing an end to the Apartheid regime.
He went on to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Negro College Fund from 1991-2004. Throughout his political and business career he remained the Senior Minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia where he served from 1972 until 2007.
To commemorate Congressman William H. Gray III’s lifelong commitment and service to the United States and to international human rights, Congress passed legislation in 2014 to rename 30th Street Station in his honor as “William H. Gray III 30th Street Station”, thereby creating only the second Amtrak station in the U.S. to be named after an African-American leader.
Information and Image Source: The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation (graymemorial.org).
To learn more about the life and legacy of Dr. Gray, visit graymemorial.org.