Nipp

It is with great sadness that National Institute for Public Policy reports that Dr. Colin S. Gray passed away on February 27, 2020. Originally a British national, Dr. Gray became a naturalized U.S. citizen and, in 1981, co-founded the National Institute and served as its founding President. He continued in that capacity until he and his family relocated from the Washington, D.C. area to the United Kingdom. Following Colin’s return to the United Kingdom, he continued to serve as National Institute’s European Director while also leading international security study centers first at the University of Hull and subsequently at the University of Reading. Dr. Gray was a brilliant scholar, prolific writer and superb teacher. His unparalleled body of work on a wide range of international security topics has had a significant and enduring impact on U.S. strategic thought. It is required reading in many university courses and continues to be referenced in professional writings across a wide range of strategic topics. His brilliance, voice and charm will be sorely missed by his National Institute colleagues and many others around the world.

To honor Dr. Gray’s legacy, National Institute held a two-day virtual symposium on September 22-23, 2020 to discuss his lasting contributions to Western strategic thought. The symposium brought together Dr. Gray’s colleagues, former students, and others in the United States and Europe who benefitted from his wisdom and scholarship to discuss his influence and impact in the areas of strategy, geopolitics, deterrence, strategic culture, missile defense, arms control, special operations, and space. His wife Valerie and daughter Antonia also participated from the United Kingdom.

National Institute plans to publish a compilation of short remembrances and substantive essays in early 2021 on these and other national security topics in tribute to Dr. Gray’s enduring legacy.