Robert Ridgley Gray

Robert Ridgley Gray had a stellar career as an educator and civic leader. Born in 1910, he was the eighth child of James H. and Eliza E. Gray. In his unpublished memoir, Gray wrote: “In 1934, I had the honor of opening an eight–room school in Fairmount Heights. … At that time, this was the largest school in the state … built primarily for elementary education.” Gray served his country during World War II. In January 1946, he returned to the school and served as principal there until his 1970 retirement. In 1964, he chaired a bi-racial committee studying the problems of integration in Prince George’s County’s public schools. From 1977 to 1989, Gray was mayor of Fairmount Heights, Maryland. In 2001, a new county elementary school was named for him.