ALUMNI & FRIENDS | The tradition of Grey family members attending the University of Delaware dates back to a time when the Beatles were just breaking up and the fear of being drafted loomed over college-aged men.
It all started with Paul, EG73, and John Grey, AS75, the two oldest brothers among nine children born in Wilmington, Delaware. Paul arrived on campus in 1969 and earned a degree in mechanical engineering. John started in 1971 and graduated with a degree in sociology. While they were in school, they would often bring their younger brother, Robert, EHD85, down to visit.
The Greys lost their father at a young age, making their bond on campus that much more special.
“The way UD accommodated my family because of our circumstances, with in-state tuition and scholarships, they really made it affordable for all of us,” says Rob.
He and his brothers credit the University for the success they’ve had in their careers and beyond.
Rob worked both in and outside of the classroom over the course of a career that brought him back to his alma mater 11 years ago. He is currently the program coordinator of the Delaware Transition to Teaching Partnership in UD's Delaware Center for Teacher Education; his wife, Teresa, was an administrator in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research from 1995-2000.
John, who was always mechanically inclined, went on to work for Amtrak for 40 years before retiring two years ago.
“Even though I didn’t exactly work in the field of my degree, the things I learned at UD, I used them throughout my life,” he says.
Paul will be the first to admit that while he’s smart, he isn’t book smart, and that became a problem when it came time for math courses. His adviser, a brand new professor named Michael Greenberg, took Paul under his wing.
“He was really patient and spent a lot of time with me,” says Paul, now 64 and retired after a long career in the paper industry. “He never said, ‘This isn’t working out. Pick another field.’ I had to work a lot to get through school, and I give him a lot of credit for that and for the future success that I had.”
Paul, who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia., decided to see if Greenberg was still around during a recent trip to Delaware. Sure enough, Greenberg, now professor emeritus, was there.
“I didn’t tell him in advance that I was coming. I just went up to his office and knocked. After all that time, he simply opened the door and said, ‘How can I help you?’ That says it all. That’s UD.”
It’s in that same welcoming spirit that the Grey Blue Hen tradition continues.
There have been biologists, history majors and education specialists, and later this year Emma, HS16, an exercise science major, and Stephen, AS16, a public policy major, will make 14 Greys to have graduated from UD.
“I think it feels like home,” says Emma. “UD has provided all of us with some great opportunities, and a lot of memories.”
Article by Peter Bothum, AS97
