Cary Travers Grayson
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Cary Travers Grayson (October 11, 1878 - February 15, 1938) was a surgeon in the United States Navy
who served a variety of roles from personal aide to President
Woodrow Wilson
to chairman of the American Red Cross
.
, one of the American Founding Fathers
) and Jennie Thornley Grayson at Salubria, the Grayson family estate, in Culpeper County, Virginia
. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree
from the College of William and Mary
in 1898. He studied for three years at the Medical College of Richmond before leaving to attend the University of the South. After a year there, he received his M.D. and as well as his Doctor of Pharmacy. He interned for a year at Columbia Hospital for Women
in Washington, D.C.
After completing his medical studies, he was appointed Acting Assistant Surgeon on July 14, 1903. He served at the U.S. Navy Hospital in Washington, D.C.
, continuing to study at U.S. Navy Medical School (from which he graduated in 1904). He received a second M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia in 1904. His studies complete, for two and a half years he served aboard the USS Maryland
while it was deployed overseas. In 1907, he was assigned to the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and appointed Naval surgeon about the Mayflower, the presidential yacht of President Theodore Roosevelt
. He continued in this role for the entire William Howard Taft
administration.
While attending a dinner party in March 1913, he attended to President Woodrow Wilson's injured sister and quickly became a close confidante of the new President. In 1915, after the death of Wilson's first wife, Grayson introduced Wilson to his soon-to-be second wife, Edith Bolling Galt. Grayson's close personal relationship with Woodrow Wilson led to his commission as a Rear Admiral
on August 29, 1916. "This rapid promotion of Dr. Grayson from Passed Assistant Surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant to Medical Director with the rank of Rear Admiral was unprecedented and was due to his position as White House Physician." Grayson resided in the White House
, and lived with Wilson while he attended peace talks in Paris in 1919.
Grayson was involved in the conspiracy to hide the severity of Woodrow Wilson's October 1919 stroke from members of the government and from the public. Some historians have strongly criticized Grayson's actions, while others have supported them. "While one might excuse Mrs. Wilson's actions on the grounds of wifely loyalty, Grayson's behavior during these days exceeded the bounds of physician responsibility. Grayson was using the office of the president of the United States as therapy of his patient." More of Grayson's documents were recently donated by his family to the Woodrow Wilson Library which have shed more light on the events that took place.
After Wilson left office in 1921, the Navy assigned Grayson to the U.S. Naval Dispensary, so he could continue to see to Wilson's health.
Before transferring to the Retired List on December 20, 1928, Admiral Grayson received the Navy Cross
for exceptionally meritorious service as aide and physician to President Wilson. He was also made Commander
of the National Order of the Legion of Honor by the French government. Admiral Grayson was chair of the inaugural committee for Franklin D. Roosevelt
in 1933 and 1937, and served as chairman of the American Red Cross
from 1935 until his death in 1938.
that is now the administration building for Sidwell Friends School
. The property consisted of what is now the Sidwell Friends School, Hearst Elementary School, and Fannie Mae.
horse racing
, in 1928 Grayson purchased Blue Ridge Farm, a horse breeding
operation in Upperville, Virginia
. Among his successful horses, Fluvanna
was voted the retrospective American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. In the year of his death, he bred the mare
On Hand to Kentucky Derby
winner Brokers Tip
to produce Market Wise
. The colt went on to become a multiple stakes winner and the 1943 U.S. Co-champion Handicap Horse
.
Blue Ridge Farm remains in the hands of the Grayson family and has been listed in the United States' National Register of Historic Places
.
, a Gleaves-class
destroyer
was named in his honor.
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Cary Travers Grayson (October 11, 1878 - February 15, 1938) was a surgeon in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
who served a variety of roles from personal aide to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
to chairman of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
.
Career
Grayson was born to Dr. John Cooke Grayson (a descendant of American George MasonGeorge Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
, one of the American Founding Fathers
Founding Fathers of the United States
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America were political leaders and statesmen who participated in the American Revolution by signing the United States Declaration of Independence, taking part in the American Revolutionary War, establishing the United States Constitution, or by some...
) and Jennie Thornley Grayson at Salubria, the Grayson family estate, in Culpeper County, Virginia
Culpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in 1898. He studied for three years at the Medical College of Richmond before leaving to attend the University of the South. After a year there, he received his M.D. and as well as his Doctor of Pharmacy. He interned for a year at Columbia Hospital for Women
Columbia Hospital for Women
The Columbia Hospital for Women was a hospital located in Washington, D.C. Originally opening in 1866 as a health-care facility for wives and widows of Civil War soldiers, it moved in 1870 from Thomas Circle to its later location at 2425 L Street, NW in the West End neighborhood. The Columbia...
in Washington, D.C.
After completing his medical studies, he was appointed Acting Assistant Surgeon on July 14, 1903. He served at the U.S. Navy Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, continuing to study at U.S. Navy Medical School (from which he graduated in 1904). He received a second M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia in 1904. His studies complete, for two and a half years he served aboard the USS Maryland
USS Maryland (ACR-8)
The second USS Maryland , also referred to as "Armored Cruiser 8", and later renamed Frederick, was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser....
while it was deployed overseas. In 1907, he was assigned to the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and appointed Naval surgeon about the Mayflower, the presidential yacht of President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. He continued in this role for the entire William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
administration.
While attending a dinner party in March 1913, he attended to President Woodrow Wilson's injured sister and quickly became a close confidante of the new President. In 1915, after the death of Wilson's first wife, Grayson introduced Wilson to his soon-to-be second wife, Edith Bolling Galt. Grayson's close personal relationship with Woodrow Wilson led to his commission as a Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
on August 29, 1916. "This rapid promotion of Dr. Grayson from Passed Assistant Surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant to Medical Director with the rank of Rear Admiral was unprecedented and was due to his position as White House Physician." Grayson resided in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, and lived with Wilson while he attended peace talks in Paris in 1919.
Grayson was involved in the conspiracy to hide the severity of Woodrow Wilson's October 1919 stroke from members of the government and from the public. Some historians have strongly criticized Grayson's actions, while others have supported them. "While one might excuse Mrs. Wilson's actions on the grounds of wifely loyalty, Grayson's behavior during these days exceeded the bounds of physician responsibility. Grayson was using the office of the president of the United States as therapy of his patient." More of Grayson's documents were recently donated by his family to the Woodrow Wilson Library which have shed more light on the events that took place.
After Wilson left office in 1921, the Navy assigned Grayson to the U.S. Naval Dispensary, so he could continue to see to Wilson's health.
Before transferring to the Retired List on December 20, 1928, Admiral Grayson received the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for exceptionally meritorious service as aide and physician to President Wilson. He was also made Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the National Order of the Legion of Honor by the French government. Admiral Grayson was chair of the inaugural committee for Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in 1933 and 1937, and served as chairman of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
from 1935 until his death in 1938.
Personal life
Grayson married the former Alice Gertrude Gordon on May 24, 1916, and the couple had three children: James Gordon Grayson; Cary Travers Grayson, Jr.; and William Cabell Grayson. The couple lived at Highlands, a large home on Wisconsin Avenue NWWisconsin Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Wisconsin Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs. It starts in Georgetown just north of the Potomac River, at an intersection with K Street under the Whitehurst Freeway...
that is now the administration building for Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
. The property consisted of what is now the Sidwell Friends School, Hearst Elementary School, and Fannie Mae.
Blue Ridge Farm
An avid horseman involved in the sport of ThoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, in 1928 Grayson purchased Blue Ridge Farm, a horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
operation in Upperville, Virginia
Upperville, Virginia
Upperville is an unincorporated community in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States, located along U.S. Route 50 fifty miles from downtown Washington, D.C.. Founded in the 1790s along Pantherskin Creek, it was originally named Carrstown by first settler Josephus Carr...
. Among his successful horses, Fluvanna
Fluvanna (horse)
Fluvanna was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by Samuel Ross, she was purchased at the Saratoga yearling sales in the summer of 1922 by Admiral Cary Grayson who raced her under his Salubria Stable colors. Out of the mare High Pass, her sire was the two-time American Champion Older...
was voted the retrospective American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. In the year of his death, he bred the mare
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
On Hand to Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
winner Brokers Tip
Brokers Tip
Brokers Tip , by Black Toney out of the French mare Forteresse, was a Thoroughbred racehorse and the only horse in history whose sole win was in the Kentucky Derby...
to produce Market Wise
Market Wise
Market Wise was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Cary T. Grayson, his dam was On Hand, and his sire was the 1933 Kentucky Derby winner, Brokers Tip. He was purchased by New York contractor Louis Tufano for a meager $1,000. -1941:Trained by George W. Carroll, Market Wise raced...
. The colt went on to become a multiple stakes winner and the 1943 U.S. Co-champion Handicap Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse
The title of American Champion Older Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up. Prior to 1971, this award was referred to as "Champion Handicap Male Horse", and was open to any horse, three years old and up...
.
Blue Ridge Farm remains in the hands of the Grayson family and has been listed in the United States' National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Namesake
The USS Grayson (DD-435)USS Grayson (DD-435)
USS Grayson , a Gleaves-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Cary Travers Grayson, who served as personal physician and aide to President Woodrow Wilson during World War I...
, a Gleaves-class
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
was named in his honor.