Florida International Univ.
        <colleen@mail.h-net.msu.edu>

Christopher J. Gray
April 21, 1958 - October 16, 2000

Those of you who have been closely following the threads of
late on H-Africa have become aware of the untimely passing
of Christopher Gray.  After struggling for many months, Dr.
Gray succombed to lung cancer at the young age of 42.  I was
fortunate enough to be a student of his at Florida
International University, where Dr. Gray was Assistant
Professor of African History.  When asked if I would write
this, I felt at once honored, but also unqualified.
Although I knew him as a Professor, mentor, and friend, I
only knew him for a short amount of time.  However, after
considerable thought, I realized that no amount of words
placed on paper would do his life and work the proper
justice they deserve.

Many of you have already spoken of his research and promise
as a young grad student in London and at Indiana University.
His MA thesis from SOAS was published as _Conceptions of
History in the Works of Cheikh Anta Diop and Theophile
Obenga_ (London: Karnak House, 1989).  His completed but as
of yet unpublished second book is entitled _`The clan knows
no boundary': practices of Territoriality in Southern Gabon,
c.1800-1940_.  Aside from that Dr. Gray published frequent
articles in various journals.  Outside of his research on
Gabon, he was also an active participant and organizer in
Academic Conferences around the world.  Furthermore, he
worked closely with a local project here in Miami designed
to advise and enhance Secondary School teachers of World
History courses.

Here at FIU, Dr. Gray gave as much to his students as he did
to his own research.  He was normally the first to arrive in
the Department, and one of the last to leave.  He served on
several thesis committees, as well as a few dissertation
committes that are currently in progress.  He would spend
hours in his office working on this and that, but would
always find time to speak to his students about their own
research efforts.  He took Africa beyond the classroom, by
moving class meetings to Ethiopian or Nigerian restaraunts.
Usually during finals week, he would invite students to come
and listen to African music or watch African films.

Dr. Gray committed his life not only to African History, but
to Africa as well.  His volunteer work with the Peace Corps
in Senegal and Gabon was an experience that he always looked
back on with pride and enthusiasm.  In fact, he always urged
his students to take the same plunge in volunteer work that
he did before entering the MA Program in African History.
His work on Gabon for the Central African Co-Group for
Amnesty International was also a sourcce of pride for Dr.
Gray, and he worked equally as hard in this capacity as he
did in his own research and teaching schedule.  He was an
activist and scholar who entered each task with everything
he had, always fearing that it wouldn't be enough.

Although his life was short, Dr. Gray's impact was great
both as a scholar and as a person.  His gift for always
finding the silver lining had a capacity of rubbing off on
even the most pessimistic of people.  His love of Africa and
her history was equal to his enthusiasm for learning and
passing that knowledge on to others.  Those of you who knew
him benefitted from his calm and warming spirit, his
enthusiasm, and his love of life.  Those of you who didn't
know him missed an opportunity to know a great man.

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