The Michael S. Gray Memorial Fund has been established in memory of Michael S. Gray, Class of 1967.

Michael (Mike) was born in 1941 in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in that area.  In 1959, Mike graduated from high school and joined the United States Navy where he served as a Hospital Corpsman for 3 years.  Upon leaving the Navy in 1962, Mike entered the College of William and Mary and in 1963 he transferred to University of North Carolina.  In the Spring of 1964, Mike joined Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Having served in the Navy prior to college, Mike was several years older than his classmates and much more experienced and mature.  He brought to DU a common sense not generally held by his younger peers and he quickly earned the affectionate nickname “Mother Gray,” due to his inclination for looking out for and keeping out of trouble his younger brothers.  Every DU from his era has a “Mother Gray” story in which Mike gently guided us down a slightly different and much wiser path from the one we were considering.

Upon graduating from UNC with a degree in History, Mike went to work for Duke Hospital in administration.  Five years later, Mike returned to his home area and joined Coney Island Hospital, where he spent the remainder of his career in various administrative and management positions.

In August 2005, Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; he passed away two months later. 

Dr. John Gray, of Oceanside, NY, Mike’s father, has endowed this scholarship in memory of his son with a generous donation, which was matched by the North Carolina Delta Upsilon Foundation.  Alumni will be adding to the fund on an ongoing basis.  Awards will be made from the earnings of this fund annually to those undergraduate brothers who continue the legacy of Michael S. Gray by exhibiting well-rounded excellence in the areas of scholarship, dedication to the fraternity, and involvement in campus and community life.

The fund is being managed and administered by the Triangle Community Foundation of North Carolina.

The Michael S. Gray Scholarship and the Michael S. Gray Circle of Excellence

Each semester, all active DUs in good standing will be evaluated in three areas: academics, fraternity spirit/involvement, and campus involvement.   Those men who are seen to excel in all three areas will be inducted into the Gray Circle of Excellence.  All members of the Circle will then be further evaluated by the Gray Scholarship Committee and one member will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship, which will be paid directly into his account with the University.  The winner will be selected by the Gray Committee, based upon evaluation made by the committee, which may include an essay, an interview, or any other selection process the Committee chooses.