William H. Gray III Congressional records

1979-1991

William H. Gray III represented Pennsylvania's 2nd Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1978 until he retired in 1991. He was the first African-American to serve as Majority Whip in the House of Representatives in 1989. The William H. Gray Congressional Records contain office, working and research files used and created by Gray, his office and the committees he served on during his tenure as the Democratic Representative of Pennsylvania. There are files for Gray's work with the Appropriations Budget; Foreign Affairs; and House Budget committees, and his involvement in the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. Gray introduced the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1985 (HR 1460) a bill that prohibited new loans and investments in South Africa, a precursor to the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 (HR 4868). There are also files for the Congressional Black Caucus, 100th, 101st, and 102nd Congresses, in addition to speeches given by Gray, news releases and press clippings which provide an overview of the congressman's legislative activities in Washington, D.C.