Isaac Pusey Gray

Background

Isaac Pusey Gray was born on October 18, 1828, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His parents, John and Hannah (Worthington) Gray, of Quaker descent, moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1836.

Education

Gray’s formal education was limited to the common schools, though he early acquired the habit of home reading. His first responsible position was a clerkship in a store in New Madison, where he soon became a partner and a few years later, the sole proprietor. During this period, he used his spare time reading law.

Career

In 1855, Gray removed with his family to Union City, Indiana, where he continued his mercantile business and also the study of law.

Within a few years thereafter, he entered upon the practice of law and soon was recognized as a leading member of the Indiana bar, his practice extending to the Supreme Court of the United States.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, on September 4, 1862, he was commissioned colonel of the 4th Indiana Cavalry, but resigned, due to ill health, February 11, 1863, before his regiment got into action.

In June of the same year, he was commissioned colonel of the 106th Regiment of “Minute Men” and took part in the attempt to capture Gen. Morgan.

Mustered out of this service on July 17, he was commissioned captain of the Union City Guards of the Randolph Battalion of the Indiana Legion, but this office he also resigned November 13, 1863.

Immediately following the war Gray entered upon his political career. In 1866, he became the Republican candidate for Congress against George W. Julian who had long represented the district in the national House of Representatives.

While serving as president pro tempore of that body, he was largely responsible for the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Indiana was the last state to vote on the Amendment and her vote was necessary to assure adoption. The state Senate had a Republican majority, but the Democrats were bitterly opposed to the Amendment and tried to defeat it by absenting themselves from the Senate chamber, thus preventing a quorum.

Gray, by leaving the chair and locking the doors to the chamber and counting the Democratic members in the lobby as the present, declared a quorum and thus the Amendment was declared passed.

In 1874, he declined the nomination of the Democrats for attorney-general, but two years later he accepted their nomination for lieutenant-governor on the ticket with “Blue Jeans” Williams and was elected.

Gov. Williams died in office, November 20, 1880, and Gray filled out the term. In 1881, he was the Democratic nominee for senator and in 1884, was nominated governor on the Democratic ticket and was elected by a large majority.

He was chosen by the Indiana legislature to succeed Benjamin Harrison as United States senator in 1887 but declined the election. In the national campaign of 1888 in Indiana, his friends started a Gray boom for the vice-presidential nomination, but it collapsed.

Four years later, with Daniel W. Voorhees and Joseph E. McDowell, he was largely responsible for carrying the state for Grover Cleveland, and in March 1893, he was appointed by the President United States minister to Mexico - one of the first diplomatic appointments made by Cleveland in his second term.

Two years later, he died in Mexico after a short illness. President Diaz and his cabinet with the entire diplomatic corps accompanied the body to the train and the flags on all government buildings were placed at half-mast.

For the honors paid their minister the United States Congress passed a resolution of thanks to the Mexican government.

Achievements

• Gray established a dry goods business, organized the Citizens Bank, as major stockholder and president. In 1884, he was elected as Democrat the 20th Governor of Indiana, serving until 1889. During his tenure, funding was secured for the renovation of the soldiers' orphan home in Knightstown and construction of a school was funded in Fort Wayne.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Small Card Signed by Isaac P. Gray.

Politics

In 1872, Gray identified himself with the Liberal Republican movement, was a member of the Cincinnati convention which nominated Horace Greeley for the presidency, and was a member of the national committee of that short-lived party.

Personality

Gray proved himself a skillful political organizer and although he was defeated the vote was exceedingly close, Julian winning by but 915 majority. Two years later, he was elected to the state Senate where he sat four years.

Gray was a man of rugged and positive character and exceptional native ability and represented much that was best in the public life of his time.

Connections

In 1850, Gray was married to Eliza Jaqua, daughter of an old resident of the county.

Father:

John Gray

2 July 1790 - 1 April 1851

Mother:

Hannah Worthington Gray Miller

17 November 1793 - 3 June 1873

Wife:

Eliza Jaqua Gray

12 November 1828 - 13 February 1908

Son:

Lyman Gray

1851 - 1854

Son:

Warren Gray

1857 - 1869

Son:

Bayard S. Gray

8 July 1855 - 24 May 1908

Son:

Pierre “Perry” Gray

May 1853 - 27 November 1907