Herb Gray

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
name = Herbert Eser Gray
honorific-suffix = P.C., C.C., Q.C.


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office1 = Member of Parliament for Essex West
term_start1 = September 27, 1962
term_end1 = June 24, 1968
predecessor1 = Norman Spencer
successor1 = riding dissolved
office2 = Member of Parliament for Windsor West
term_start2 = June 25, 1968
term_end2 = January 14, 2002
predecessor2 = first member
successor2 = Brian Masse
birth_date = birth date and age|1931|5|25
birth_place = Windsor, Ontario
death_date =
death_place =
nationality =
party = Liberal
spouse = Sharon Sholzberg
relations =
children = Jonathan David
Elizabeth Anne
residence = Ottawa, Ontario
alma_mater = McGill University
Osgoode Hall Law School
occupation =
profession =
religion = Jewish Herbert Eser Gray, P.C., C.C., Q.C. (born May 25, 1931) is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish cabinet minister cite web|title=Commissioners' Biography|work=International Joint Commission|url=http://www.ijc.org/rel/about/bio_gray_e.htm] , and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title "The Right Honourable" who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.

Early life

Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry and Fannie Gray, Gray attended Victoria School and Kennedy Collegiate Institute in Windsor before receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1952 from McGill University [cite web|title=McGill News - Spring '98|url=http://news-archive.mcgill.ca/sp98/activities.htm] . He then attended Osgoode Hall Law School where he received a Bachelor of Laws degree. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. [cite web|title=Member Contact Information|work=Law Society of Upper Canada|url=http://www1.lsuc.on.ca/MemberDirectory/loadSingleResultPage.do?startPoint=10&currentPoint=18&iD=cwiNzgSPzP8%3D&iD=1197368894052] On July 23, 1967, Gray married lawyer Sharon Sholzberg, with whom he has two children: Jonathan David and Elizabeth Anne.

Politics

He was first elected to Parliament for the riding of Essex West on June 18, 1962, as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was re-elected in twelve subsequent federal elections, making him the longest continuously-serving Member of Parliament in Canadian history. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/service_parl.asp?Language=E&Hist=Y&cham=H&begin=12784&end=14609&Service=B&s_t=G&nm= Members of the House of Commons -- 1867 to Date -- Continuous Years of Service] . Parliament of Canada. Retrieved on 6 December, 2006.]

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.

From February 6, 1990 to December 21, 1990, he was Leader of the Opposition, between the resignation of John Turner as Liberal leader and the election to Parliament of his successor, Jean Chrétien.When the Liberals returned to power after the 1993 election, Gray was appointed Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada. On June 11, 1997, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

Gray also retained an interest in provincial politics in the Windsor area. In 1996, he was named as honorary co-chair of Dwight Duncan's bid to the lead the provincial Liberal Party. ("Windsor Star", 26 June 1996) Duncan had previously worked in Gray's office.

Retirement

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 transboundary issues on water and air rights.

Honours

On January 15, 2002 the Governor General of Canada granted Gray the title "The Right Honourable", in honour of his distinguished and record-setting contribution to Canadian political life. In 2003, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, a designation which can be bestowed on only 165 outstanding Canadians at any given time, in recognition of being "an enduring force in Canadian politics". [cite web|title=Order of Canada citation|url=http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=8944] He is a recipient of the Canadian Centennial Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Windsor, Assumption University (Windsor), Catholic University of Lublin (Poland), McGill University, and the University of Ottawa.

References

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