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5/27/1913 - 10/30/1977
Born near Mifflintown, Gray was well known for his book The Warriors: Reflections of Men in Battle (1959), inspired by his opposition to World War II.
Born in 1913, near Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, Jesse Glenn Gray earned his MA from the University of Pittsburgh, and eventually his PhD from Columbia University. He was well known for his English translations of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and for his reflections on his experiences in the Army during World War II. His work continues to be recognized since his passing in 1977.
Jesse Glenn Gray was born May 27, 1913, near Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. He married Ursula Werner in 1947 and the couple had two daughters.
Gray graduated from Juniata College with an AB, magna cum laude, in 1936. He received his MA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1938 and a PhD from Columbia University in 1941. Immediately after finishing his education, Gray spent four years in the United States Army and became a second lieutenant during World War II. When Gray returned to the United States he began his career as a professor and writer of philosophy.
Gray is wellknown for his English translations of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger. He worked with Heidegger as a general editor for Harper & Row. Throughout his career, Gray also published numerous books and essays. His first major publication, The Warriors: Reflections of Men in Battle (1959), was thought to be one of his greatest achievements. The book was inspired by his opposition to war and modestly reveals memories of his experience in warfare.
As a professor, Gray received various fellowships from organizations such as the Ford Foundation, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the National Council on the Arts and Humanities. He was also a scholar-in-residence for the Aspen Center for Humanistic Studies from 1967 to 1968. Before his scheduled retirement, scholars at Colorado College and throughout the United State compiled a collection of essays, entitled Something of Great Constancy (1979), in honor of Gray. Unfortunately, Gray died October 30, 1977, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before the collection was published.
The work of Jesse Glenn Gray continues to be a source of reference to philosophers today.
Books
- Hegel's Hellenic Ideal. New York: King's Crown Press, 1941.
- The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle. New York: Harcourt, 1959.
- The Promise of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy of Education. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1968.
- Understanding Violence Philosophically and Other Essays. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.
Books (Editor)
- Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich. On Art, Religion, Philosophy: Introductory Lectures to the Realm of Absolute Spirit. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.
Translations
- Heidegger, Martin. What is Called Thinking? New York: Harper & Row, 1968.
Contributions to Books
- McGrath, Earl. The Humanities in Higher Education. Dubuque: W.C. Brown, 1949.
- Kline, George L. European Philosophy Today. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1965.
- Anton, John. Naturalism and Historical Understanding. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1967.
- Somer, John, James Wilcox, and James Coulos. Literature and Rhetoric: an Anthology for Composition. Atlanta: Scott, Foresman, 1969.
- Fuller, Timothy, ed. Something of Great Constancy: Essays in Honor of the Memory of J. Glenn Gray. Lunenburg: The Stinehour Press, 1979.
- Gray, J. Glenn. Introduction. The Promise of Wisdom: a Philosophical Theory of Education.
- "J. Glenn Gray Obituary." New York Times. 31 Oct. 1977. Late City Ed.: 34.
- "J(esse) Glenn Gray."The Gale Literary Database: Contemporary Authors Online. 2002. 14 May 2002. <http://www.galenet.com>.
