Endowed Scholarship Fund - Football

SENATOR GARLAND GRAY SCHOLARSHIP
Represented by The Hon. Elmon T. Gray '46 of Waverly, Virginia.

The Senator Garland Gray Scholarship was established in 1971 to provide athletic scholarships to deserving upper classmen on the football team, preferably who are from Virginia..

Senator Gray, who died in 1977, was a banker and lumberman. He built the family business, Gray Land & Timber of Waverly, Virginia,, that is now managed by his son, The Hon. Elmon T. Gray '46. It is one of the largest lumber manufacturing companies in the state.

At the time of his death, he was also president of the Bank of Waverly. He retired from the State Senate in 1971 after serving in the legislature for 29 years. At the time of his retirement, he was chairman of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, as well as a member of six other committees.

He was among the key fund raisers for the Democratic party of Virginia, and was a past chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.  He is credited with beginning the Shad Planking Outing, one of the major gatherings of federal, state and local politicians in the spring.

(Taken from an article by James Ezzell, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Sun., July 31, 1977)

Senator Elmon Gray '46 with Cadet Nat Jackson '08, VMI Football, who is recognized in the name of the Senator Garland Gray Scholarship for the 2007-08 school year.