Paul E. Gray

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title: "Paul E. Gray" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1932-births", "2017-deaths", "mit-school-of-engineering-faculty", "presidents-of-the-massachusetts-institute-of-technology", "american-electrical-engineers", "fellows-of-the-ieee", "members-of-the-united-states-national-academy-of-engineering", "deaths-from-alzheimer's-disease-in-massachusetts", "massachusetts-institute-of-technology-alumni"] description: "American university president (1932–2017)" topic_path: "engineering" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_E._Gray" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American university president (1932–2017) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
image	Paul E Gray c1980.png
order	14th
title	President of
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
term_start	July 1, 1980
term_end	October 15, 1990
predecessor	Jerome Wiesner
successor	Charles Vest
order2	2nd
title2	Chancellor of
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
term_start2	1971
term_end2	1980
predecessor2	Julius A. Stratton
successor2	Lawrence S. Bacow
president2	Jerome Wiesner
birth_name	Paul Edward Gray
birth_date
birth_place	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.
profession	Electrical engineering
awards
module	{{Infobox scientist
fields	Electrical engineering
workplaces	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
thesis_title	The dynamic behavior of thermoelectric devices
thesis_url	https://www.proquest.com/docview/301852069/
thesis_year	1960
education	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MS, DSc)
signature	Signature of Paul E. Gray.jpg
::

| image = Paul E Gray c1980.png | order = 14th | title = President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology | term_start = July 1, 1980 | term_end = October 15, 1990 | predecessor = Jerome Wiesner | successor = Charles Vest | order2 = 2nd | title2 = Chancellor of Massachusetts Institute of Technology | term_start2 = 1971 | term_end2 = 1980 | predecessor2 = Julius A. Stratton | successor2 = Lawrence S. Bacow | president2 = Jerome Wiesner | birth_name = Paul Edward Gray | birth_date = | birth_place = Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Concord, Massachusetts, U.S. | profession = Electrical engineering | awards = | module = {{Infobox scientist | embed=yes | fields = Electrical engineering | workplaces = Massachusetts Institute of Technology | thesis_title = The dynamic behavior of thermoelectric devices | thesis_url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/301852069/ | thesis_year = 1960 | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | education = Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MS, DSc) | signature = Signature of Paul E. Gray.jpg

Paul Edward Gray (February 7, 1932 – September 18, 2017) was the 14th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is known for his accomplishments in promoting engineering education, practice, and leadership at MIT and in the world at large.

Early life and education

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1932, Gray graduated from MIT in 1954 with a SB in electrical engineering, and was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He subsequently obtained an SM and ScD from MIT in 1955 and 1960, both in electrical engineering, and served as an electronics instructor in the US Army from 1955 to 1957.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

As an MIT professor, Gray specialized in researching and teaching semiconductor electronics and circuit theory. In 1969, he co-authored Electronic principles: Physics, models, and circuits, which became a standard textbook on fundamental principles of solid-state electronics technology.

Gray rapidly rose through the MIT administration, serving as associate dean for student affairs (1965–1967), associate provost (1969–1970), and then dean of the School of Engineering (1970–1971). Under MIT president Jerome Wiesner, Gray served as chancellor (1971–1980). From 1980 to 1990, he served as president of MIT, and then as chairman of the MIT Corporation (1990–1997).

At MIT, Gray is credited with helping to establish the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the Leaders for Manufacturing program, and the ongoing affiliation with the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He led the Task Force on Educational Opportunity (1968–1973), and encouraged undergraduate curriculum reforms in the 1980s that strengthened the humanities, social sciences, and biology. He broadened MIT's traditional engineering programs to also encourage development of management skills.

In 1982, Gray became an inaugural member of Ronald Reagan's White House Science Council, where he served for four years. He was a member of the Council's Panel on the Health of Universities, and was also vice chairman of the Council on Competitiveness.

After retiring from chairmanship of MIT, Gray returned to teaching and advising undergraduate students. He was a professor of electrical engineering and president emeritus of MIT, and a life fellow of the IEEE.

Gray died on September 18, 2017, in Concord, Massachusetts, from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Bibliography

References

References

1. (18 September 2017). "Paul E. Gray". IEEE.
2. Gray, Paul Edward. (1960). "The dynamic behavior of thermoelectric devices". [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].
3. "Paul Edward Gray, 1932–". Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
4. Reinhold, Robert. (February 18, 1982). "13 Experts Named to Counsel Reagan's Advisor for Science". [[The New York Times]].
5. Wren, Kathy. (September 18, 2017). "Former MIT President Paul Gray dies at 85 after lifelong career of service and leadership at the Institute".

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