L. Patrick Gray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office May 3, 1972 – April 27, 1973 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Clyde Tolson (acting)[1] |
| Succeeded by | William Ruckelshaus (acting) |
| Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division | |
| In office 1970–1972 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | William Ruckelshaus |
| Succeeded by | Harlington Wood Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Louis Patrick Gray III July 18, 1916 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 6, 2005 (aged 88) Atlantic Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican[2] |
| Spouse |
Beatrice Castle Kirk
(m. 1946) |
| Children | 4 (2 adopted) |
| Education | Rice University United States Naval Academy (BS) George Washington University (JD) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1940–1960 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles / wars | World War II Korean War |
Louis Patrick Gray III (July 18, 1916 – July 6, 2005) was acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from May 3, 1972, to April 27, 1973. During this time, the FBI was in charge of the initial investigation into the burglaries that sparked the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon. Gray was nominated as permanent Director by Nixon on February 15, 1973, but failed to win Senate confirmation.[3] He resigned as Acting FBI director on April 27, 1973, after he admitted to destroying documents that had come from convicted Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt's safe—documents received on June 28, 1972, 11 days after the Watergate burglary, and given to Gray by White House counsel John Dean.[4]
Gray remained publicly silent about the Watergate scandal for 32 years, speaking to the press only once, near the end of his life; this was shortly after Gray's direct subordinate at the FBI, FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt, revealed himself to have been the secret source to The Washington Post known as "Deep Throat".
- ^ Kessler, Ronald (2003). The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI. Macmillan. p. 29. ISBN 0-312-98977-6.
- ^ Gray, L. Patrick (March 3, 2009). In Nixon's Web: A Year in the Crosshairs of Watergate. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0805089189.
He [L. Patrick Gray III] was a lifelong Republican, but Richard Nixon considered him a threat
- ^ NYT1 1973
- ^ Page 3 of 3 (June 26, 2005). "Page 3: 'Deep Throat's' Ex-Boss Shocked by Revelation - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
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