WHO WE ARE

The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is a nonprofit effort of dedicated friends, family, and local and national community members working together with AMTRAK to build a memorial and rename Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station in William H. Gray’s honor. The partnership with AMTRAK will ensure that the memorial features prominently in the planned redevelopment of the train station, slated to begin in 2021.

THE 3 PILLAR TRUTHS OF REVEREND GRAY

True Diversity Pillar

True Diversity

Rev. Gray broke barriers and lived an authentically diverse life. He worked, worshipped, socialized and strategized—truly and closely—with people of diverse backgrounds.

True Community Pillar

True Community

Rev. Gray remained rooted in his community while seeing the wider world as an extension of it. Despite global travel and broad responsibilities he stayed close to the people and community he loved.

True Commerce Pillar

True Commerce

Rev. Gray’s monumental efforts to successfully fight for funding for Amtrak when he was in Congress saved an institution that has provided countless jobs to the communities Amtrak serves.

The Fierce Ugency of Now

There has never been a more fitting time to establish a living monument and platform to educate generations on the history and journey of Rev. Bill Gray, a statesman and civil servant deeply committed to civil rights and social justice around the globe. Monuments and tributes represent one way that communities and individuals both remember and celebrate the past as well as shape future generations' understanding of history.

PROPOSED SITE SIGNAGE

BACKGROUND

William Herbert Gray III (August 20, 1941 – July 1, 2013) represented Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district from 1979 to 1991. He also served as chairman of the House Committee on the Budget from 1985 to 1989 and House Majority Whip from 1989 to 1991. To date, he remains the hightest ranking elected offical to serve in federal government from the Commonwealth of Pennslvania since Reconstruction.

Throughout his tenure, the Congressman was dedicated to promoting civil rights and economic advancement in Philadelphia, the United States and through the world. He was a chief opponent of the apartheid system in South Africa and authored the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 credited as an instrumental action in bringing an end to the Apartheid regime.

He went on to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Negro College Fund from 1991-2004. Throughout his political and business career he remained the Senior Minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia where he served from 1972 until 2007.

To commemorate Congressman Gray’s lifelong commitment and service to the United States and to international human rights, Congress passed legislation in 2014 to rename 30th Street Station in Philadelphia as the “William H. Gray III 30th Street Station” thereby creating only the second Amtrak station in the U.S. to be named after an African-American leader.

THE MEMORIAL CAMPAIGN

The Gray 30th Station Campaign will bring together local and national stakeholders to erect a new kind of memorial for Philadelphia, one that engages with local community leaders and gives thousands of travelers a daily chance to reflect on public service and social justice in another era and reflect on how they might apply that legacy to the present day.

To create the Gray Memorial in celebration of this historic moment, a total of $5 Million is needed.

Your generous contributions will be used as follows:

Pre-Planning, Design and Construction $2.5MM

Programming, Education and Outreach $1.5MM

Endowment and Program Administration $1MM

TOTAL Campaign Needs $5MM

Online donations gladly accepted. Click here to learn more.

300 New Jersey Avenue NW Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
202-461-2100
info@graymemorial.org