Duncan Montgomery Gray Sr. (May 5, 1898 – June 25, 1966) was the fifth bishop of Mississippi in

The Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine Ecclesiastical provinces and dioces ...

. His son Duncan Montgomery Gray Jr and grandson

Duncan Montgomery Gray III Duncan Montgomery Gray III is an Episcopal bishop who served as the ninth Bishop of Mississippi from 2003 till 2015. His grandfather, Duncan Montgomery Gray Sr. was the fifth Bishop of Mississippi, while his father, Duncan M. Gray Jr., was the ...

were the seventh and ninth bishops of Mississippi.

Early life and education

Gray was born on May 5, 1898, in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

, the son of William Franklin Gray and Annie McClung. He attended the

Rice Institute The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its wo ...

in Hudson, Texas and later Sewanee: The University of the South.

Priest

Gray was ordained deacon on June 21, 1925, by Bishop

Theodore DuBose Bratton Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Sask ...

. He served as deacon in Grace Church, Rosedale, Mississippi and Calvary Mission in Cleveland, Mississippi. He was ordained priest on June 21, 1926, after which he served as rector of Grace Church in

Canton, Mississippi Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 13,189 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of th ...

. He also served as rector in Nativity Church in Greenwood, Mississippi and St Paul's Church in

Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterwa ...

. He was also a member of the Diocesan executive committee.

Bishop

Gray was elected, on the third ballot, bishop on January 20, 1943, during the 116th diocesan convention. He was consecrated on May 12, 1943, by Presiding Bishop

Henry St. George Tucker Henry St. George Tucker may refer to: * Henry St George Tucker (financier) (1771–1851), Bermudian financier and official of the East India Company * Henry St. George Tucker Sr. (1780–1848), U.S. representative from Virginia * Henry St. George ...

in St Andrew's church in Jackson, Mississippi. As bishop he managed to keep the church growth in the diocese steady and increased the diocesan budget. He was also the first bishop to be installed in the diocesan cathedral after its establishment. He was also instrumental in promoting racial integration. Gray retired on May 31, 1966, and died a less than a month later on June 25. His funeral took place on June 27 in St Andrew's Cathedral, presided by the Bishop of Mississippi, John Allin."Gray of Mississippi dies", ''The Living Church'', New York, 10 July 1966.

Personal life

Gray married Isabel McCrady, who died on May 31, 1966, a few weeks before Bishop Gray. Together they had 3 children including

Duncan M. Gray Jr. Duncan Montgomery Gray Jr. (September 21, 1926 – July 15, 2016) was the 7th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, a diocese of the Episcopal Church. Gray's father, Duncan M. Gray Sr., and his son, Duncan Montgomery Gray III, are res ...

who later became Bishop of Mississippi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Duncan Montgomery Sr. 1898 births 1966 deaths People from Meridian, Mississippi Rice University alumni Sewanee: The University of the South alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Mississippi 20th-century American bishops 20th-century American Episcopal priests