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Friday, August 29, 2008
Welcome!
This is a great site to share ideas and information.
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No history of South Carolina is complete without the story of Dr. Wil
Lou Gray's dedication to the advancement of her native state. She lived to be 100 (1883-1984), and her life and work responded
to the changes, challenges, conflicts, and constraints that defined the twentieth-century. Wil Lou Gray used education
and the state to promote equality through opportunity. From tax-supported adult education to planned parenthood and ERA, she
believed in the power of government to transform the lives of people. This website provides a place for individuals interested
in her life and work to share stories, memories, questions, and scholarship about this amazing woman!
Family and Heritage
Family was Gray's bedrock. She lost her mother at the age of 8, her father in
1936, and both brothers within hours of each other in 1946. Left with " man's only real possession...a memory"
of her immediate family, she maintained close relationships with extended relatives whose company and support provided
a haven from her very busy public life. In turn, her relatives shared their support and enthusiasm for Gray's
opportunity schools, rallying financial aide and volunteering their time. Both Gray
and her cousin Margaurite Tolbert served as the historians and grande dames of the GRAY family of Laurens and Gray Court,
SC and organized many Gray gatherings from the mid-fifties to the early seventies. Wil Lou and Margaurite's reunions
brought together Gray relatives from across the country. Guest lists included notable poet Harriet Gray Blackwell and
artist Willa Martin Pierce, the step-mother of Barbara Bush. At these reunions, Gray always prepared a presentation
on the history of important people in the Gray family, their role in the development of South Carolina, their
national service, and their respect for tradition and heritage. This lesson on heritage she also shared with thousands
of adult students. Today, it is our turn to carry on her legacy by collecting and passing on to future generations the stories
of how she touched peoples' lives and contributed her time and energy to make South Carolina a great state.
Help Remember Her Great Contribution to South Carolina History!
At the core of biographical research is the personal narrative. To best understand
Dr. Gray, the perspectives of those who knew her best and those whose lives she profoundly influenced provide priceless
details about her public and private personality. Many people bear the name Wil Lou today, a testament to the
importance of Dr. Gray to the people she taught. How did Wil Lou Gray influence your life? What did she do for you and
you do in return? Why do you think she worked so hard to promote educational opportunities for all people? Did you participate in
any protest, organization, conference, or state work with Dr. Gray? Responses to these questions will greatly expand
the historical interpretation of this interesting woman and offer new insight for scholars interested in her work.
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