Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the James Alexander Gray Papers #4441, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from the Gray family of Winston-Salem, N.C., in March 1986 (Acc. 86044).

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Banks and banking--North Carolina.
• Endowments--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• Executives--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• Families--North Carolina--Social life and customs.
• Gray family.
• Gray, Bowman, 1874-1935.
• Gray, James Alexander, 1889-1952.
• Legislators--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• Philanthropists--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
• Tobacco industry--North Carolina.
• Universities and colleges--North Carolina--Finance.
• Wachovia Bank and Trust Company.
• Winston-Salem (N.C.)--History.

• Papers Relating to World War I, 1915-1916 (3953-z)
• Gordon Gray Papers (3824)

James Alexander Gray (1889-1952) was a businessman and philanthropist of Winston-Salem, N.C. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1908, he served in various capacities with Wachovia National Bank and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, eventually becoming a high-level executive. He was also a member of the North Carolina Senate for two terms, 1917-1920.

The collection contains correspondence, photographs, speeches, a scrapbook, and printed items relating to James Alexander Gray. Many items concern the endowment fund Gray established for the benefit of eleven North Carolina colleges and universities, but there are also materials relating to Gray's professional and legislative activities and to the Gray family, including some about R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company president and chair Bowman Gray.

• Oversize Photographs (OP-P-4441/1)
• Oversize Volume (SV-4441/1)