Vivienne E. Newton Gray (February 24, 1917 – November 25, 1988) was an American educator and social worker. She was a Methodist missionary teacher in Liberia from 1948 to 1974. She was also an administrator at Wiley College in Texas.
Vivienne Newton Gray | |
|---|---|
 Vivienne Newton Gray, from a 1946 newspaper | |
| Born | Vivienne E. Newton February 24, 1917 Teague, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 1988 (age 71) Marshall, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, social worker, Methodist missionary |
| Known for | Missionary teacher in Liberia, 1948 to 1974 |
| Relatives | Bennie Dee Warner (foster son) |
Early life and education
editNewton was born in Teague, Texas, the daughter of Andrew John Newton and Della Gibson Newton. Her father was a Methodist minister. She graduated from Wiley College, and earned a master's degree from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta.[1] She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta.[2] She pursued further studies at Cornell University and the Boston University School of Theology.[1]
Career
editAs a young woman, Gray was a member of the Women's Division of Christian Service staff of the United Methodist Church,[3] working on projects in Wisconsin and Florida.[4] In Liberia, Gray founded and ran a school at Gbarnga, and taught adult literacy and public health classes.[5] She was named Liberia Teacher of the Year for 1968.[1] She and her husband received the Liberian Star medal in 1974, for their services in Liberia.[6]
Gray was director of admissions and alumni affairs at Wiley College in her later years.[7][8] She frequently spoke at Methodist meetings and at women's club gatherings.[9][10]
Personal life
editNewton married a fellow Gammon Theological Seminary alumnus and missionary, Ulysses Samuel Gray Sr. They had two children, and several foster children in Liberia, including Bennie Dee Warner, who became vice president of Liberia in 1977.[11] She died in 1988, at the age of 71, at her home in Marshall, Texas.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Gray, Vivienne Newton (1917 – ??)". History of Missiology, BU School of Theology. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Wiley Announces Appointments". The Marshall News Messenger. 1976-11-16. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-02-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Heritage and hope : The African-American presence in United Methodism. Nashville: Abingdon Press. 1991. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-687-16898-9.
- ^ "Methodist Convention Will Be at Platteville; Mrs. Gray to Talk". The Capital Times. 1946-09-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-02-21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ United Methodist Church (U.S.). General Board of Global Ministries. Women's Division (1986). They went out not knowing-- : an encyclopedia of one hundred women in mission. p. 45.
- ^ Scott, David; Kemper, Thomas (2021-01-19). Methodist Mission at 200: Serving Faithfully Amid the Tensions. Abingdon Press. ISBN 978-1-7910-1599-2.
- ^ "Missionary Shows Slides of Liberia". The Marshall News Messenger. 1975-01-20. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New directors named to positions at Wiley". The Marshall News Messenger. 1986-09-14. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-02-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Gray to speak at First UMW meet". The Marshall News Messenger. 1979-06-03. p. 27. Retrieved 2024-02-21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Missionary to Liberia Addresses Wiley Club". The Marshall News Messenger. 1974-10-27. p. 28. Retrieved 2024-02-21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Walker, Wanda (1977-10-30). "From Boy Carpenter to Vice President". The Marshall News Messenger. p. 21. Retrieved 2024-02-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vivienne Gray". The Marshall News Messenger. 1988-11-28. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-02-21 – via Newspapers.com.