William B. Gray was an American attorney and political figure from Vermont. He is best known for his service as United States Attorney for the District of Vermont from 1977 to 1981, managing the successful 1986 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, and running unsuccessfully for the US Senate against Republican Jim Jeffords in 1988.
Early life
William Barton Gray was born in Brattleboro, Vermont on February 14, 1942, the son of Edwin and Mabel Gray. His father managed buildings and grounds maintenance at The Putney School, and his mother ran the school's kitchen. Gray's siblings included Olympic skier Bob Gray. Gray was raised in Putney, Vermont and attended The Putney School, from which he graduated in 1960. He then attended Harvard College, from which he received his bachelor of arts degree in 1964. While at Harvard, Gray was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club and The Harvard Krokodiloes. In 1967, Gray received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and attained admission to the bar. In addition to pursuing his legal career, Gray was an amateur singer, and during his years as a prosecutor in New York City his musical activities included performing as an extra in La bohème with the Metropolitan Opera and performing with the New York Choral Society. After returning to Vermont, he became a member of Burlington's Musica Propria choral group. He was also an avid cross-country skier, bicyclist, and runner, and took part in several marathons.
In 1977, Gray left the director's position to become United States Attorney for the District of Vermont during the presidential administration of Jimmy Carter. He served until the end of Carter's administration in 1981. Among the notable prosecutions Gray handled as U.S. Attorney was the controversial 1978 case of Kristina Berster, who had been arrested at the U.S.-Canada border in Vermont and was accused by the government in West Germany of being a member of the Red Army Faction terrorist group. Berster faced an eight-count indictment for passport violations and illegally crossing the border. No links to terrorism were proved, but there were allegations of illegal surveillance and false testimony made against U.S. law enforcement agencies. Berster was convicted of one felony and one misdemeanor. She was sentenced to nine months in prison, all but two weeks of which she had served while awaiting trial. Charges against her in West Germany were dismissed, and she returned home after finishing her American sentence. Gray also prosecuted Gerald Bull, an engineer and weapons designer who operated Space Research Corporation of North Troy, Vermont. Bull and a colleague were convicted of illegally selling arms to South Africa in 1980 and served prison sentences.
Continued career
In 1981, Gray began to practice law in Vermont as a partner in the Burlington firm of Sheehey, Blue, Gray & Furlong. In 1986 he left the practice of law to volunteer as the campaign manager for Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. Leahy was elected to a third term, defeating the Republican nominee, former Governor Richard Snelling in the general election. In 1988, Gray won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Robert Stafford. In the general election, Gray was defeated by the Republican nominee, Republican Jim Jeffords. In 1991, Gray served as chairman of the Vermont Bicentennial Commission, which was created to organize celebrations and activities commemorating Vermont's 1791 admission to the Union as the 14th state. He was also a board of directors member for the Vermont Council on the Arts, the Flynn Theater for the Performing Arts, The Putney School, and the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. In 1993, Leahy and Jeffords recommended Gray to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the same seat once held by Sterry Waterman. Gray's nomination was still pending at the time of his death, so he was never confirmed for the position.
Death and burial
Gray resided on a farm in Jericho and practiced law until he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. In addition to his legal practice, he raised sheep, kept bees, and grew Christmas trees and apples. He died on March 22, 1994 while undergoing treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He was buried at West Hill Cemetery in Putney, Vermont.
Family
In 1965, Gray married Sarah Kerlin of Riverdale, Bronx, New York. They were the parents of son Joshua Barton Gray and daughter Sarah Hawkes Gray.
