L. Patrick Gray

L. Patrick Gray
Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
In office May 3, 1972 – April 27, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Clyde Tolson (acting)[1]
Succeeded by	William Ruckelshaus (acting)
Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division
In office 1970–1972
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	William Ruckelshaus
Succeeded by	Harlington Wood Jr.
Personal details
Born	Louis Patrick Gray III (1916-07-18)July 18, 1916 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	July 6, 2005(2005-07-06) (aged 88) Atlantic Beach, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican[2]
Spouse	Beatrice Castle Kirk ​ ​ (m. 1946)​
Children	4 (2 adopted)
Education	Rice University United States Naval Academy (BS) George Washington University (JD)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1940–1960
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War

Louis Patrick Gray III (July 18, 1916 – July 6, 2005) was acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from May 3, 1972, to April 27, 1973. During this time, the FBI was in charge of the initial investigation into the burglaries that sparked the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon. Gray was nominated as permanent Director by Nixon on February 15, 1973, but failed to win Senate confirmation.^[3] He resigned as Acting FBI director on April 27, 1973, after he admitted to destroying documents that had come from convicted Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt's safe—documents received on June 28, 1972, 11 days after the Watergate burglary, and given to Gray by White House counsel John Dean.^[4]

Gray remained publicly silent about the Watergate scandal for 32 years, speaking to the press only once, near the end of his life; this was shortly after Gray's direct subordinate at the FBI, FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt, revealed himself to have been the secret source to The Washington Post known as "Deep Throat".