Professor H. L. Bray       
        Personal
                Hubert Edward Bray (1936-2025)     
                        Hubert Evelyn Bray (1889-1978)     
                                James Frederick William Bray (18xx-1903)        
                                Annie Edith James        

My grandfather was born Hubert Evelyn (rhymes with Steve) Bray on March 9, 1889 to James Frederick William Bray and Annie Edith Bray (maiden name James), who were married on October 11, 1884 and had five children: Louis, Reggie, Hubert, William (Billy), and Dorothy. They lived in an upper middle class four story brownstone style house (that shared walls with the neighbors) across from a park and walking distance to the beach in Great Yarmouth, England. His dad was a building contractor, so the boys all learned carpentry and were good at building and fixing things from a young age. My grandfather was a well behaved young person, enjoyed playing the piano, and did very well in school.

The defining event of my grandfather's childhood was the death of his dad when he was only 13 years old. His mom, Annie Edith Bray, suddenly had to figure out how to support five children. They sold their house and moved into a much smaller place that was a candy shop for beach goers on the ground floor, with tight quarters for the family upstairs. Ultimately, all of her kids, except for Billy, left England to seek their fortunes around the world. Sadly, Reggie died in battle in World War I. Happily, the other kids were all ultimately successful in their lives.

Amazingly, my grandfather got a full scholarship to attend Tufts University, based on his reputation as a great student, and the fact that his uncle's widow happened to remarry the president of the university. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa as a mathematics major and was selected to speak at the graduation ceremony. He then supported himself by teaching classes at Tufts, and then later Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, which allowed him to save up enough money to get a Masters in mathematics from Harvard in 1916.

Fortuitously, Edgar Odell Lovett, the founding president of the Rice Institute (later Rice University), was touring the great universities of the world when he met my grandfather at Harvard. The Harvard mathematics professors suggested that my grandfather would make a fine Ph.D. student. This led to my grandfather receiving the first Ph.D. ever granted by Rice University in 1918.

Long story short, my grandfather dedicated the rest of his life to Rice, even meeting his future wife there. He then bought an 1800 square foot two story house walking distance to campus, had two girls and a boy (my dad), and lived happily ever after.

My grandfather's prominent professional career is described quite well in the articles, notes, and images below. Since I am named after my grandfather, dozens of times in my youth old men would approach me and tell me that they had my grandfather for Math 100 at Rice. All but one had very nice things to say - I suspect he had struggled in this notoriously difficult (yet basic math) class that, at one time, was a weedout class required to graduate.   

The best way to capture the essence of my grandfather is to read this speech given by my dad in 1998 at the Hubert E. Bray Scholar/Athlete Award Ceremony. This award is given to the most outstanding all around scholar athlete every year, in recognition of my grandfather's decades of service as the chairman of the faculty committee on outdoor sports at Rice, as well as their representative to the Southwest Conference. He was even president of the Southwest Conference for two consecutive 4 year terms. My dad was honored to give this speech about his dad, which he delivered with sincerity and emotion, and which was received - to my dad's great surprise - with thunderous applause.

Hubert Lewis Bray
October 31, 2025


Hubert Evelyn Bray is on the far left, with his three brothers Louis, William, and Reggie.


Middle image, Speaker for the College of Letters, Tufts University Commencement, June 15, 1910




Wedding Photo, Hubert Evelyn Bray and Gertrude Boxley Bray


Rice Mathematics Department, 1927.
From left to right: E.R.C. Miles, David Widder, Miss Alice Dean , S. Mandelbrojt (visiting from France), Nat Edmondson, Arthur Copeland, H.E. Bray, May Hickey (Maria), G.C. Evans (namesake for Evans Hall, the math building at UC Berkeley), R. N. Haskell, and J. Gergen, then a graduate student, who later became department chairman at Duke from 1937 to 1966.

Historical note: Hubert Evelyn Bray was best friends with Szolem Mandelbrojt (1899-1983), one of the great French mathematicians of his day (and uncle of the namesake for the Mandelbrot Set), visiting him in France in the early 1930's. He returned the favor later in the 1930's when Mandelbrojt, who was Jewish, requested that he and his family spend World War II at Rice University, which my grandfather (HEB), along with Edgar Odell Lovett, the President of the Rice Institute, enthusiastically arranged. Mandelbrojt continued to return to Rice during the summers for the rest of his career and became good friends with the Bray family.
  

Written on the Rice Institute Pamphlet, Vol. XXV, January, 1938, No. 1 by Edgar Odell Lovett, the first president of the Rice Institute.


Family photo, around 1941. Standing: Anne Katherine (born 1927) and Marjorie (born 1929). Hubert Edward Bray (my dad) is seated in Hubert Evelyn Bray's lap, next to his mom Gertrude Bray.






Playing the piano by ear, Christmas Eve, 1965


1967

1967



Rice University Review, Fall/Winter/1967





Lake Eldora, CO


1968 at 1300 sq. ft. authentic log cabin vacation home that they fixed up, 265 Eldorado Ave., Nederland, CO



Christmas Eve, 1968. Above, left to right: Lorna Jean Bray (daughter-in-law), Gertrude Bray (wife), Elizabeth Berling (granddaughter), David Berling (grandson), Dorothy Bray Starnes (sister, 1901-1989), Anne Katherine Berling (daughter), Hubert Evelyn Bray, Jimmy Berling (son-in-law), Fred Berling (grandson).

Below, left to right: David Berling (grandson), Fred Berling (grandson), Alan Chapman, Jr. (grandson), with Katherine Chapman (now Powell) in front next to Hubert Evelyn Bray playing Santa.



1969, with his wife Gertrude Bray and his grown children Anne Katherine Berling, Marjorie Chapman, and Hubert Edward Bray.


June 14, 1974 at Hubert Lewis Bray's 4th birthday party


November 1975


Playing Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, 1975, amusing a 5 year old Hubert Lewis Bray and a 4 year old Clark Bray.

Beginning with his own kids, my grandfather Hubert Evelyn Bray would dress up as Santa Clause on Christmas Eve to entertain the little kids. Every Christmas Eve, he'd announce that he had to leave the party to attend an important faculty meeting (or perhaps a Houston Philosophical Society meeting). My grandmother would object, saying how ridiculous it was that they would schedule a meeting at such an inopportune time. He'd then pretend to leave the house, sneak up stairs, put on his Santa outfit, sneak out the backdoor, go around the house, and ring the front doorbell. The adults would then say, "Is that Santa Clause?", which would cause the little kids to come running. He'd then enter the front door with, "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" He'd tell the little kids, "I've heard you've been really good this year," hand out some presents, spread some good cheer, deflect questions from the little kids about why he had glasses on behind his mask, and then explain how he had to go give all the other little kids their presents, leaving by the front door again.

Hubert Lewis Bray
September 26, 2025