Gib Gray
From 7-14-14
As I look back on preparing for that 1st year @ George Walton Academy, I realized that they didn't want to settle for mediocrity or just "being average". They had a vision of excellence for their children's success in academics and athletics! They didn't have the adequate athletic facilities for a quality program, but I believed in their vision that those facilities would one day be a reality. Two of those who also believed in that vision, (& were probably were the most influential in our athletic program) were Gib & Margie Gray.
Gib was a highly-regarded company executive from Missouri who had been sent to Georgia with the directive, "You have a free hand to do what you have to do to make a success of our large plant there, & if you can't, we'll shut it down!" One of my 1st days @ GWA, we had finished football practice & I was sitting in my little office. In walked a fellow whom I had not yet met---a red-haired fellow named Gib. He said, "Coach, you care about our young people, don't you?" I said that was what I was hired to do, and he said, "I want to help you." I didn't know this man, not realizing that he had a son, Conner, on our football team, & through the years I found a lot of people make promises during the heat of the moment & not following through, so I didn't take him very seriously. Then he said, "what do you need?" I proceeded to tell him how we need a football field, a practice field, stands in our gym, dressing rooms, an office, a laundry room, & added that I would love to have a weight room with Universal Machine." (I figured my "pipe dreams" were enough to scare anyone off, but I didn't know Gib Gray!). After deep thought, his only statement was, "What the hell is a Universal Machine?"
Several days later, in our empty gym, a group of very professional-looking men were there with Gib, & I overheard his construction engineer say, "you want me to pull our crew off the building they are constructing for us, to do all the things that you want done here, & you don't want us to charge the school anything?" Gib strongly said, "Yes, & I want it done in a hurry!" I suddenly realized what a "mover & shaker" he was, & that he cared about this school! We were few in number, but we had outstanding athletes at every position. Playing our football games without a home field & all of our games on the road, our record was 6-3-1. After the season, Gib & I were on our way to California, to meet with the man who developed the Universal Machine. After ordering the machine (with all the extras), we toured Hollywood, etc. My mouth fell open when Gib said, "We've got one more day to spare. We can go to San Francisco & go out on a friend's large sailboat, or go to Las Vageas." (The Vegas story is too long to tell, but on our return flight after the LV stopover, I realized just what a unique man Gib was). Boarding a 747 (the 1st one I had ever seen), we went upstairs & Gib asked me if I wanted to sit up there in the empty VIP area. The flight attendant said that you had to rent the whole compartment. Gib pulled out his wallet & said, "How much?" I assured him I was content to sit downstairs. As the big plane prepared to pull out of the gate, Gib realized he had lost some important papers that he was working on (to corner the world's egg market)! He screamed bloody murder, & believe it or not, he made them return the plane to the gate! We rushed back into the terminal & then he realized he had left his important papers upstairs in the 747! Gib arranged a reward for our football staff to see UGA play in the Cotton Bowl. I won't tell the whole story, but when Georgia tried the trick "shoestring play" & it failed, all we heard the rest of the day was "Soooey Pig!" Several days later the our Headmaster called the Board chairman, George Hearn, & said, "There is some man named Gib with tractors knocking down trees, saying he is helping Jake & Mae Henderson build a football stadium! What should I do??" George's response---"Get the Hell out of his way!!" I could tell many more stories about Gib, but let me say that he didn't just help provide what I asked for, he always did more!!! (And his wife, Margie, a qualified teacher, would come to school & teach some of my classes so I could work some on the facilities.). Gib lived his life "wide open" & to the fullest! Several years later Jan & I were in Greece, preparing to fly to Paris, when we got word that Gib was killed in an auto accident. We miss Gib---he really was a very unique person & he left a legacy & facilities which will benefit young GWA students for years to come!!!
