Horace M. Gray Papers, 1921-1980 | University of Illinois Archives

Arrangement of First Accesion:

The first accession in the 1960s was organized as follows: (1) Administrative (1929-1962) arranged chronologically; (2) Governmental Activities (1942-1965) arranged chronologically; (3), Professional and Personal Material (1927-1966) arranged chronologically; (4) Manuscripts and Publications (1921-1966) arranged chronologically.

Arrangement of Second Accession:

The second accession from 2015 is organized into 6 series (arranged by the University Archives, Midwestern State University, Texas):

Series 1: Personal Material contains personal materials including an autobiography, University of Illinois faculty and committee assignments, fliers, and ledger books and correspondence for Volunteers for Stevenson-Kefauver. Files were arranged by the University Archives, Midwestern State University, Texas.

Series 2: Correspondence and Professional Papers contains correspondence files and papers about educational institutions and journals. These include correspondence from Economic Issues, the Judson King Foundation, and the University of Illinois. Files were arranged by the University Archives, Midwestern State University, Texas.

Series 3: Lecture Notes contains Professor Gray's lecture notes covering monopoly, economic power, economic issues, regulation, government and business relations, and landscape architecture among others. Files were arranged by the University Archives, Midwestern State University, Texas.

Series 4: Manuscripts and Publications contains book and article reviews, and speeches by Horace Gray on topics such as public utilities, monopolies, the American enterprise system, antitrust policies, power production, economic power, public regulation, and investments. Files were arranged by the University Archives, Midwestern State University, Texas.

Series 5: Conferences and Talks contains materials related to conferences Gray attended as well as his presentations and those by other scholars. These meetings discuss economic and social issues such as public utilities, business, education, taxation, rural electrification, economic power, and the League of Women Voters. This series is arranged chronologically.

Series 6: Congressional Hearings contains records from congressional hearings and committees. Horace Gray testified at some of the hearings; also included are his notes. Materials are arranged by U. S. Senate, U. S. House of Representatives, and U. S. Congress and chronologically within.

HORACE M. GRAY (1898-1986)

Horace M. Gray (1898-1986) was a professor of economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1927 to 1966. He was a  researcher of economic policies focusing particularly on public utilities, monopolies, and government business regulations. He also testified in congressional committee hearings.

Detailed Biography:

Horace Montgomery Gray (1898-1986), was born in Lerna, Illinois, on June 29, 1898. After attending Eastern Illinois State Teacher's College (presently known as Eastern Illinois State University) and serving in the Navy (1918-1919), Gray received his Bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1922. He then completed a Master's and Doctorate degree in Economics by 1926. Gray began as a full-time instructor and researcher in the Department of Economics at UIUC in 1927. By 1946, he had advanced to Full Professor and retired in June 1966.

In his classes and research he focused on topics such as transportation, public utilities, finance, taxation, monopolies, government regulation of business, antitrust policies, and natural resources. He also taught at the University of Colorado in the summer of 1936 and at Michigan State University in the summer of 1956. Gray published books, articles, and book reviews, including popular reviews in The Progressive and a co-authored book, Monopoly in America: The Government as Promoter (1955).

In addition to teaching and research, he served as the Assistant and Associate Dean of the Graduate College (1938-1948). Gray served on academic, professional, and government committees and organizations such as the American Association of University Professors, the American Economic Association, Midwest Economics Association (President, 1956), the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (Director, 1947-1948) and the National War Labor Board. Most notable, Professor Gray testified in congressional committee hearings such as the House Select Committee on Small Business, House Public Works Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee: Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly, and Joint Economic Committee.

After his retirement in 1966, Gray moved to Texas where he worked as a Research Analyst for the Texas State Coordinating Board of Higher Education and a visiting instructor at Midwestern University, teaching business and government courses.

Horace Gray died on December 1, 1986.