William H. Gray, III, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund from 1991 to 2004 and majority whip in Congress from 1989 to 1991, has died.
Mr. Gray was attending the Wimbledon tennis matches with one of his sons in Wimbledon, England, when he died suddenly on July 1. He was 71.
Mr. Gray represented Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District, in the U.S. House of Representatives from1978 until 1991. He was elected the first African-American whip in Congress.
During his tenure in Congress, he also served as chairman of the Budget Committee. In that position, he introduced legislation that prohibited new U.S. investment in apartheid South Africa.
Mr. Gray retired from Congress to lead the United Negro College Fund from 1991 to 2004. During his tenure, Mr. Gray raised $2.3 billion for UNCF-member colleges.
He also succeeded his father as pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church in
Philadelphia, a position he held until retiring in 2007.