[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING ELLISON CAPERS ``E.C.'' GRAYSON, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 5, 2024

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today I honor the life of 
Mr. Ellison Capers ``E.C.'' Grayson, Jr. and offer my sympathy to his 
family. E.C. Grayson, born in 1928 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was known 
for his vibrant personality, dedication to family and friends, and 
lifelong commitment to civil service. From his early achievements as an 
Eagle Scout, student leader, and athlete, to his distinguished career 
in the U.S. Navy, serving during the Korean war and as Assistant 
Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan, and later as a successful 
CEO and leader, E.C. left a lasting impact on all who knew him, 
celebrated in a Memorial Mass on March 1, 2024, in Tiburon, California. 
We deeply appreciate his exemplary service and personal courage, which 
epitomized the highest traditions of Navy service. I include in the 
Record the following obituary for E.C. Grayson, Jr.:

       Ellison Capers ``E.C.'' Grayson, passed away peacefully and 
     faithfully on January 13, 2024, in La Quinta, Calif.
       E.C. was born in Saint Paul, Minn., on September 7, 1928, 
     son of Ellison Capers Grayson, Sr. and Inez Santos Grayson; 
     and brother of Richard A. Grayson, Esq. E.C. will always be 
     remembered for his big smile, boundless energy, eternal 
     optimism, devotion to duty, honor, country, and his deep love 
     of family and friends. E.C. loved the magic of relationships, 
     knew everyone, and delighted in connecting them.
       E.C. was raised in St. Paul, Minn., and was a student 
     leader and athlete. He was an Eagle Scout, President of 
     Central High School, a lifeguard, and a varsity football 
     player. At the University of Minnesota, E.C. was President of 
     Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Inter-Fraternity Council. He 
     loved his summers on the Isle of Palms, S.C., where his 
     family had a long history. E.C. was an athlete his entire 
     life, still swimming at 95. He loved tennis, downhill skiing, 
     running, rowing on the Bay and playing water polo on the 
     Olympic Club team. As a member of the Saint Francis and 
     Corinthian Yacht Clubs, he loved racing around the Bay on 
     ``The Darby'' to the delight of his granddaughters and their 
     friends.
       After graduation, E.C. joined the U.S. Navy as an officer 
     during the Korean war. From his ship, he witnessed a nuclear 
     detonation test off the Bikini Atoll. His active duty took 
     him across the Pacific and ultimately, to San Francisco, 
     where he met the love of his life, Jean Amy Mason. She was a 
     flight attendant for United Airlines and for President Dwight 
     Eisenhower during his presidential campaign. E.C. and Jean 
     were engaged in Honolulu and married on Treasure Island Naval 
     Base on December 26, 1953. They spent their honeymoon driving 
     through Europe for three months and returned home to San 
     Francisco aboard the QE II.
       Thereafter, E.C. had a successful career as an insurance 
     industry CEO. He was very active in civic affairs, including 
     as President of St. Mary's Hospital and The Navy League, a 
     Regent at Saint Ignatius College Prep, Commanding Officer of 
     a Naval Intelligence Reserve unit and an advisor to Mayors 
     George Moscone and Dianne Feinstein and Governor Pete Wilson.
       In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed E.C. as the 
     Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He received numerous awards, 
     including the Navy's Distinguished Civilian Service medal. 
     After serving in the Pentagon, E.C. returned to San Francisco 
     and joined Spencer Stuart, becoming one of the country's top 
     ``headhunters'' of Fortune 500 CEO's, CFO's, and board 
     members, In later years, E.C. joined the Grayson Group as 
     senior advisor and loving mentor to its founder, Laurie 
     Grayson.
       E.C. especially loved The Bohemian Club and Grove. He was a 
     true Bohemian in spirit and deed. He also greatly enjoyed The 
     Alfalfa Club, The Knights of Malta, The Metropolitan Club of 
     Washington, D.C., and serving on The Guardsmen board. He was 
     a member of The Springs Country Club in Rancho Mirage and a 
     devout parishioner of St. Hilary Church in Tiburon.
       E.C. is survived by his wife of seventy years, Jean Mason 
     Grayson; his children, Darby Grayson Sutherland (Bruce) and 
     William Ellison ``Bill'' Grayson (Laurie); his four 
     granddaughters, Katherine (Washington, D.C.), Elizabeth and 
     Caroline Grayson (Manhattan), and Lauren Gordon (Austin, 
     Texas). He is also survived by Shadow, his beloved standard 
     poodle. E.C.'s zest for life, service to his country, 
     devotion to his family and love of his friends will continue 
     to live on in all of us.
       The Memorial Mass was on Friday, March 1, 2024, at 1:30 
     p.m., at St. Hilary Church in Tiburon, Calif.

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