William M. Gray

William Mason Gray was an American meteorologist who was emeritus professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University (CSU), and the head of the Tropical Meteorology Project at CSU's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. He is widely regarded as a pioneer in the science of tropical cyclone forecasting and one of the world's leading experts on tropical storms. After retiring as a faculty member at CSU in 2005, Gray remained actively involved in both climate change and tropical cyclone research until his death.

Early life and career Gray was born on 9 October 1929, in Detroit, Michigan, and was the eldest son of Ulysses S. Gray and Beatrice Mason Gray. His family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1939 where he graduated from Wilson High School.

He joined Colorado State University (CSU) in 1961 as part of the Department of Atmospheric Science. Eight of his students received awards from the American Meteorological Society while under his mentorship. His last student was Philip Klotzbach,

Gray worked closely with the World Meteorological Organization throughout his career. In 1985, he organized the first International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones in Bangkok, Thailand. Gray was a fan of baseball and followed the then Washington Senators (now known as the Texas Rangers). He initially sought a career in baseball or basketball but a knee injury at age 21 prevented him from pursuing such. He is widely regarded as a pioneer in hurricane research, particularly for the seasonal forecasts. The endeavor proved modestly successful.

Climate change Following Gray's retirement from CSU's faculty, he took a stance against anthropogenic global warming. Gray claimed that scientists supported the scientific consensus on climate change because they were afraid of losing grant funding and promoted by government leaders and environmentalists seeking world government. Although he agreed that global warming was taking place, he argued that humans were only responsible for a tiny portion and it was largely part of the Earth's natural cycle.

Peter Webster, a Georgia Institute of Technology professor, was part of the anonymous peer review on several of Gray's National Science Foundation proposals. In every case he has turned down the global warming research component because he believed it was not up to standards, but recommended that Gray's hurricane research be funded. Webster, who co-authored papers with Gray, was critical of Gray for his personal attacks on the scientists with whom he disagreed.

Awards and honors Throughout his career, Gray received several awards for his pioneering research and mentorship: 1995: Neil Frank Award of the National Hurricane Conference for "pioneering research into long-range hurricane forecasting and for developing a better understanding of how global climatological conditions shape the creation and intensity of tropical cyclones." 1995: Honorary lifetime achievement award via invitation to the Eighth IMO Lecture to the 12th World Meteorological Organization Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. 1995: ABC Television person of the week 1995: Man of Science Award from the Colorado Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists 2014: First-ever recipient of the Robert and Joanne Simpson Award