Vincent C. Gray

Vincent Condol Gray (born November 8, 1942) is an American politician who served as the mayor of the District of Columbia from 2011 to 2015. He served for one term, losing his bid for reelection in the Democratic primary to D.C. Council member Muriel Bowser in the 2014 election. Prior to his inauguration as mayor in January 2011, Gray served as Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, and as Councilmember for Ward 7. In the 1990s he also served as director of the DC Department of Human Services. In June 2016, he defeated incumbent Yvette Alexander in the Democratic primary for the council seat he previously held in Ward 7. Early life and career Gray was born on November 8, 1942 in Washington, DC, and graduated from Dunbar High School. In 1964 he earned a B.S. in psychology at George Washington University, where he also took graduate courses. Gray was one of the first African Americans to join the Jewish fraternity Tau Epsilon Phi. While in the fraternity, he was the first to serve two consecutive terms as President. Other school activities included the Newman Catholic Center, as well as football and basketball intramurals. Gray is also an avid participant in hand dancing, a D.C.-area derivative of Lindy hop. Gray began his political career with the D.C. Arc, where he successfully advocated for innovative public policy initiatives on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities. In 1991, then-Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly appointed Gray to the post of Director of the DC Department of Human Services.