1. Herb Gray was a Liberal member of parliament for the Windsor area over the course of four decades, from 1962 to 2002, making Gray one of the longest-serving members in Canadian history.
15 Facts About Herb Gray
1. 2.
Herb Gray was a cabinet minister under three prime ministers and was the seventh deputy prime minister of Canada from 1997 to 2002.
3.
Herb Gray was born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Fannie, a nurse, and Harry Herb Gray, who had a business selling yard goods.
4.
Herb Gray attended Victoria School and Kennedy Collegiate Institute in Windsor before receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1952 from McGill University.
5.
Herb Gray studied at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he received a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the bar, becoming a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
6.
On July 23,1967, Herb Gray married Sharon Sholzberg, a lawyer.
7.
Herb Gray was first elected to Parliament for the riding of Essex West on June 18,1962, as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.
8.
Herb Gray was re-elected in twelve subsequent federal elections, making him the longest continuously-serving Member of Parliament in Canadian history.
9.
Herb Gray served in a variety of roles during his parliamentary career, including cabinet ministries and committee chairmanships during the Liberal governments of Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, and as opposition House leader from 1984 to 1990.
10.
Herb Gray retained an interest in provincial politics in the Windsor area.
11.
Herb Gray retired from Parliament on January 14,2002, and was appointed Canadian Chair of the International Joint Commission, a bilateral organization which deals with Canada-United States trans-boundary issues on water and air rights.
12.
On November 28,2008, Carleton University announced that Herb Gray had been appointed as the university's 10th chancellor.
13.
Herb Gray died in hospital in Ottawa on April 21,2014, aged 82.
14.
Herb Gray was a recipient of the Canadian Centennial Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
15.
Herb Gray was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1996 and recovered after radiation therapy.