The Tuskegee History Center Mourns the Passing of Managing Director Deborah Gray
The Tuskegee History Center Mourns the Passing of Managing Director Deborah Gray
Dear Visitors and Supporters,
On behalf of the Tuskegee History Center (also known as the Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center, or “the Center”), I share with deep sorrow the passing of my eldest daughter and the Center’s longtime Managing Director, Deborah Gray, on August 24, 2025.
Deborah faithfully led the Center for almost three decades, beginning in 1997 when she relocated to Montgomery and undertook the extraordinary work of transforming a former bank into what is now the Tuskegee History Center, an institution dedicated to telling the stories of landmark legal battles, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, human rights struggles, and the voting rights movement. Today, the Center also serves as the official visitor center for Tuskegee and Macon County.
Under Deborah’s leadership, the Center became one of Alabama’s most important institutions for preserving, interpreting, and sharing civil and human rights history. She directed every detail – from strategic planning, fundraising, and financial management to partnership development, programming, exhibit design, and staff training. Her creativity touched every aspect of the Center, and her tireless efforts generated over $3 million in public and private support to sustain its mission.
Though she often preferred to stay out of the spotlight, Deborah’s presence was always felt. She had a remarkable gift for storytelling, bringing to life the history of Tuskegee, Macon County, and the broader movement with passion and clarity. She was, in every sense, the heartbeat of the Center and will be deeply missed.
Memorial Details
Funeral services for Deborah will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 12:00 Noon at Holt Street Church of Christ, 945 S. Holt Street, Montgomery, AL 36108. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Tuskegee History Center in the name of Deborah R. Gray at www.tuskegeecenter.org or by mail to P.O. Box 830768, Tuskegee, AL 36083.
Center Operations
In honor of Deborah’s life and service, the Center will be closed on Friday, August 29, the day of her service. Regular operations will continue under the 2025 Summer Schedule, which ends Saturday, August 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. CDT. Following the conclusion of the summer schedule, the Center will reopen in February 2026, with additional hours to be announced.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers, we invite you to join us in honoring Deborah’s life and legacy, and in carrying forward the mission to which she devoted her intellect, creativity, and boundless passion. We remain committed to advancing the vital work she helped build.
Sincerely,
Fred D. Gray
President, Tuskegee History Center
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I recently learned of the passing of my old boss, mentor, and friend, Deborah Gray. As a student at TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY, I worked for and lived in the apartment building owned by the great civil rights attorney, Fred Gray at the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center (now called the Tuskegee History Center). Deborah Gray was the Executive Director of the museum, and is his daughter. She woke up an interest in the history of Black Americans that my mom invested in me at an early age. Deborah acknowledged certain skills that I had, and PUT ME TO WORK on behalf of the museum, where at the time it housed the history of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, where Fred Gray was attorney for the men involved in that “study” which was administered by the federal government. To this day, I still use much of what I learned from Deborah Gray during those years at the museum, in my current board service with nonprofit organizations and support of museums throughout the country. I never had the chance to tell her, but some of my most valued relationships in business today was formed while I was a student working at the musuem in meetings that she made sure I participated in. She would put me in rooms with leaders of government, business, and academia, and would say, “Byron, you run the meeting, and I’ll jump in, if necessary.” That’s who she was, and for whatever reason, she chose to invest in me. May the peace of God bring comfort to her family and loved ones today, and for the moments to come.
#ThankYouDeborahGray ❤️
Praying fervently for Bro. Gray and the Gray family during this difficult time – that they feel God’s presence and comfort ❤️