John A. Gray

Dr. John A. Gray, III was born on August 13, 1924 in Waterbury, CT. He was the son of John A. Gray, Jr. and Luella Thomas Gray. Dr. Gray received a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1945 and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in 1949, both from Yale University. He began working in the research laboratories of Procter & Gamble in 1948. In 1952 he married Marjean Holman of Middletown, OH. They had three children, D. Randolph, Timothy H., and Joanna Banta. Both of Dr. Gray’s sons are chemists, and his daughter has an M.B.A.

Most of Dr. Gray’s career at Procter & Gamble was devoted to dental research, focusing on the mechanism of tooth decay and the effects of fluoride. He contributed to the development of Crest toothpaste and Peridex mouth rinse, and he was author or co-author of twenty-five scientific publications. After 32 years with Procter & Gamble, Dr. Gray took an early retirement in 1980 to become the Executive Director of the International and American Associations for Dental Research in Washington, D.C., a position he held for 10 years.

Dr. Gray was a member of many scientific organizations: American Chemical Society; Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science; Sigma Xi; Member and Chairman, Board of Scientific Counselors National Institute for Dental Research, National Institute of Health; Co-chairman of Gordon Research Conference on Calcium Phosphates; Honorary Fellow American College of Dentists; Associate member of American Dental Association; American Association of Dental Schools; the Federation Dentaire Internationale; and European Organization for Aries Research. In 1965-66, he was a consultant for the U.S. Air Force. He was a long-time member of the American and International Associations for Dental Research and was the first industrial scientist to become an officer and eventually president of the International association.

For more than 25 years Dr. Gray was a member of the Board of Trustees of Children’s Dental Care Foundation of Cincinnati and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati from 1974-1979. He was a deacon and elder of the Presbyterian Church, USA. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, and model railroading.

Dr. Gray was preceded in death by his wife, Marjean Holman, his sister, and his brother. Burial will be in Woodside Cemetery, Middletown, OH. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, P.O. Box 5202, Cincinnati, OH 45201-5202, www.cincinnatichildrens.org.