Esther Gray has countless personal moments with University Lecture speakers during her 15 years running the series. As she prepares for retirement on Dec. 31, she shared six of her favorite stories.

Sen. George Mitchell (2001)

Diplomat, author, peacemaker and former U.S. Senator 

The University Lecture’s first speaker was Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine). The advisory team asked Gray to try to get former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to speak for the inaugural event, she said, but that it was simply impossible.

“I had really remarkable people that helped me, but needless to say I didn’t get Jimmy Carter. But our first speaker was Sen. Mitchell, and as it turned out, it was right after 9/11,” Gray said. “He was the best possible person to have come in. He was honest and he was truthful, and he was also able to kind of calm everyone and quiet some of the fears. He turned out to be perfect.”

George McGovern (2002)

Former U.S. Senator, WWII Veteran

Former Sen. George McGovern (D-S.D.) walked into Hendricks Chapel, Esther Gray following close behind.

A WWII Veteran sat near the front in his wheelchair. He had been in McGovern’s fighter bomber units in WWII, but because McGovern was a higher ranking officer, they never met. His daughter had driven him from Pennsylvania for the opportunity to shake his hand.

“I took (McGovern) over to introduce him and the gentleman struggled to get out of his chair so he could salute him,” Grey said, holding back tears. “The whole place was on their feet. Those are the kind of things I have had the privilege of witnessing over the years.”

Garrison Keillor (2004)

American author, storyteller, humorist, radio personality

Garrison Keillor was so popular they needed to host him in the Goldstein Auditorium instead of Hendricks Chapel, Gray said.

“He was here right after the first invasion of Iraq, way back. I had so many people there afterward come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for giving me a night to laugh,’ because so many people were scared. There have been so many times like that,” Gray said.

 Neil deGrasse Tyson (2004)

Astrophysicist, director of Hayden Planetarium

On a chilly November night, a group of students and staff stood under the dark sky. Hendricks Chapel towered behind them as Neil deGrasse Tyson stuck his fingers in the air pointing and explaining. Esther Gray stood close to the world-famous astrophysicist, soaking it in.

“There were about a dozen of us left at the end of the evening in Hendricks, and he took us out to the November sky, pointing out the different constellations and stars. It was just amazing,” Grey said.

Terry Tempest Williams (2012)

Environmentalist, author

Gray worked to connect the lectures with the Syracuse community during her time here. She developed a relationship with the Syracuse City School District and sometimes brought speakers to the schools to speak.

“I remember when Terry Tempest Williams was there — it was right after Trayvon Martin — and the kids decided that they were going to do their own little protest. Some of the kids were wearing hoodies and stuff like that,” Gray said. “She got into that assembly and she handled it brilliantly. She says, ‘I support you and what you are doing, I am grateful for the school leaders for supporting you.’ It was perfect, it could not have been better, especially at that time.”

Van Jones and Eve Ensler (2014)

Co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire” reboot; co-founder of Rebuild the Dream

Author, playwright, founder of “The City of Joy” in the Congo

Gray said she had been trying to get Jones here “forever” and that when he finally came last year, she was ecstatic. Before his speech, students were outside picketing about divestment.

“Shoot, he went outside, it was raining, thundering, lightning, they were out there, they had rigged up letters to hold up made with electric Christmas lights,” Gray said. “And they were out there rigged up with this electrical stuff and it’s lightning and he’s out there and he’s standing out in the middle, and the kids were so happy.”

The next speaker was Eve Ensler and there was another group protesting. She went outside and joined them.

“It was when that whole thing started with disbanding the volunteer center and things like that. She was right there with the, so here my first two speakers were protest people, and here right after that, they started the protest in Crouse-Hinds. I thought, ‘Oh, god, my job is on the line here, they’re going to blame me for it.’”

Published on December 9, 2015 at 10:49 pm

Contact Jacob: jagedets@syr.edu