John Gray Scholarship

In 1992, the John Gray Memorial Scholarship was founded in memory of John Gray who served as president of the National Asphalt Pavement Association from 1967 to 1992. This scholarship was established by donations from NAPA members and the Gray family in his honor.  Mr. Gray requested that this scholarship support students at the West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Mr. Gray was a native of Scotland and a graduate of St. Andrews University, with a Masters of Science degree in Civil Engineering. In the early 1950s, he was employed by the Burgh of Arbroath in Scotland. Upon arriving in America, Mr. Gray was employed by the Montgomery County Public Works Department as Highway Design Engineer. After serving two years in the Seabees, he was appointed City Engineer, then Director of Public Works for Rockville, Maryland. During his six years as Director, he gained a national reputation for the development and use of high construction standards and specifications for asphalt street pavements.

Gray served as the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s (NAPA) Chief Executive Officer from 1963 until 1992. As CEO, Mr. Gray was responsible for the administration of all NAPA activities, including federal government relations, engineering and research programs, safety, and environmental programs.

Mr. Gray was also a past president of the Virginia-Delaware District of the American Public Works Association. He was a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the International Society for Asphalt Pavements and Chairman of the Transportation Research Board Task Force on Highway Research in Industry. Gray was an active member of the Association of Asphalt Pavement Technologists, the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association, and the Maryland Engineers Association.