Wood Gray

Wood Gray (March 19, 1905 - June 27, 1977) was a history professor at George Washington University, public speaker, and writer. He specialized in American social history and the history of the American Civil War.[1] He was a consultant for the United States Information Agency working on histories and motion pictures for overseas distribution.[1] He gave talks at the Foreign Service Institute and Industrial College.[1] The George Washington University Libraries have a collection of his papers.[1]

He was born in Petersburg, Illinois, and graduated from Petersburg Harris High School as valedictorian and captain of the track team. He received a B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1927 and an M.A. in 1928. A student manager for the school's football team, he recounted taping Red Grange's ankles before the game against Michigan in which Grange scored five touchdowns. Gray earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1933.[1]

He began teaching history at George Washington University in 1934 and became department chair in 1937. He served in the Army Air Corps as a Special Staff Lt. Colonel from 1943 until 1946.[1]

In 1965 he was a member of NASA's historical advisory committee.[2]

He wrote about the Copperheads of the American Civil War era who he described as peace at any price Democrats.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Collection: Wood Gray papers | GW Libraries Archival Collection Guides".
  2. ^ Administration, United States National Aeronautics and Space (1965). "Semiannual Report to the Congress: Message from the President of the United States Transmitting the Report". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Rawley, James A. (June 8, 1977). Lincoln and Civil War Politics. R. E. Krieger Publishing Company. ISBN 9780882755762 – via Google Books.