[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO JOHN GRAY

 Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the life 
of John Gray, a son of the great State of Oregon, and a true pioneering 
spirit whose legacy will live on through his contributions to 
communities throughout our State.
  John Gray, born in the small town of Monroe, OR, to a family of 
modest means, achieved personal success most can only dream of.
  It was once written about John Gray that one ``might expect a man 
such as Gray, who has made it so big so quickly, to behave like the 
tycoon he is. Instead, he has the manner of a bashful lepidopterist 
making his first trip to the big city.''
  At the time of that profile, Salishan was a new community, Sunriver 
had yet to open, and Skamania was but a twinkle in John Gray's eye. 
More than 4 decades later, the man who has forever changed the 
landscape of Oregon remains humble.
  John Gray's longstanding commitment to preserving and protecting 
Oregon's natural beauty is evident in the communities he's developed, 
such as Sunriver, which complement their surroundings with signature 
elegance.
  That commitment was matched by his passion for strengthening urban 
communities. Over the last several years, John Gray gave $2 million to 
Habitat for Humanity in Oregon. His cornerstone contribution of $1 
million to Habitat's ``Block by Block'' initiative laid the foundation 
for a $10 million land-bank fund, which allowed Habitat to purchase 
large groups of home lots on Portland's east side. On these lots, 
Habitat will build entire blocks of new homes for low-income families, 
most of whom will be first-time homeowners.
  Mr. Gray's generosity was expansive, extending beyond homeownership 
to a range of efforts to make Portland a better place. Twenty years 
ago, he established a fund at Reed College to make sure the school's 
students are able to enjoy ``cultural, social, and recreational 
programs of excellent quality'' outside the classroom. In 2011, he gave 
nearly half a million dollars to a private Portland-area school serving 
students from homeless and very low-income families to build a new 
classroom for its expanding roster of students. That same year, he 
pledged $5 million to the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & 
Science University to create an endowed professorship and to fund 
research and clinical care.
  Mr. Gray's professional and civic accomplishments are widely known. 
As a developer, he created several of Oregon's signature communities. 
As a businessman, he led Omark Industries and was a director of 
Tektronix, Precision Castparts and First Interstate Bank. As a 
philanthropist, he has given millions of dollars to make Portland a 
place that offers opportunity for all.
  But, not many people know that he is also a decorated veteran. He 
served with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division during World War II, 
rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and receiving the prestigious 
Bronze Star for his service.
  This Friday, December 14, we will be opening an affordable housing 
development that will house dozens of homeless veterans. It is a 
fitting tribute that the development will bear John Gray's 
name.

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