Thomas J. Gray
Thomas J. Gray, 1884-1890
Gray Campus Laboratory School, 1958
Gray Campus Laboratory School gym, 1960s
Engineering and Computing Center, late 1980s
Engineering and Computing Center, late 1980s
Biography
Thomas J. Gray was born August 22, 1851, in Iowa County, WI. He moved to Minnesota in 1865, where he graduated from St. Cloud Normal School in 1872. He then served as faculty at St. Cloud State before he served as St. Cloud State's fourth president from 1884 to 1890. Gray was the first St. Cloud State alum to serve as its president. In 1890, he moved to Greeley, CO, where he served as the first president of the Greeley Normal School, which later became the University of Northern Colorado.
In 1891, he moved to Chicago, where he graduated from Hering Medical College in 1893. Gray moved to Minneapolis and was a professor in the medical department of the University of Minnesota from 1895 to 1901. He then lived in Berkely, CA, for a time and worked as a medical doctor at mining camps. Gray was caring for miners in Tonopah, AZ when he contracted tyhpoid pneumonia and died there January 23, 1907. He is buried in St. Cloud's North Star Cemetery.
Gray Campus Laboratory School / Engineering and Computing Center (1958)
Opened in the fall of 1958, this building served as the final home for the campus laboratory school. With $800,000 appropriated by the state of Minnesota in 1957, the building was designed by two architectural firms – Traynor and Hermanson and Gausman and Moore.
An addition to the building opened in time for the fall of 1962, which included a gymnasium, allied art area, dressing rooms, conference rooms, equipment storage and an industrial arts area.
The campus laboratory school closed in the spring of 1983 and later that year was renamed as the Engineering and Computing Center. A two story wing on the north side of the building was constructed as well as renovation of interior in the already existing space and opened in 1986.
For more information, see the individual profile for the Gray Campus Laboratory School/Engineering and Computing Center on the University Archives’ website.