Gray, Harold Studley, 1894-

Conscientious objector during World Wars I and II and founder of the farming cooperative Saline Valley Farms.

From the description of Harold Studley Gray papers, 1896-1972. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 34418471

Harold Studley Gray was the developer and owner of the Saline Valley Farms, an experiment in cooperative farming and living. Born in Detroit, February 23, 1894, Gray was a graduate of Exeter Academy, then attended Harvard University as war broke out in Europe. Leaving school, he volunteered for duty with the Young Men's Christian Association in England working in a German prisoner-of-war camp. His experiences during this time led Gray to take a stand for non-violence. When he returned to the United States, he was drafted but he claimed exemption on the grounds of conscientious objection. After a court-martial, Gray was sentenced to life imprisonment (later commuted to twenty-five years at hard labor). In 1919, he was dismissed dishonorably from military service.

After his release, he returned to Harvard, receiving his A.B. and M.A. degrees. He next went to China where for four years he taught economics in Central China University, Wuchang, China. During his time in England and while in prison, Gray began developing ideas for an experiment in social farming and economic security. He had some thought that this might be possible in China. But when revolutions in China made this impossible, Gray began to contemplate a similar venture in the United States. In 1932, he purchased farm land acreage near Saline, Michigan. The land included an abandoned farmhouse and barn. His goal was to raise the standards of agricultural life by combining farming and industry, selling the product of the farm directly to the consumer.

One of the aims of Saline Valley Farms cooperative was to provide a measure of economic security during this time of depression. Gray sought to employ as many people as possible in marketing the products of the farm. The Saline site was chosen because of its proximity to the Detroit area and to the University of Michigan. Many of Gray's first employees were of high-school age. Their work on the farm, Gray believed, would enable them to stay in school and to earn sufficient income that they could to go to college.

Many of the people employed at the Farms brought valuable training and experience. One, Harold Vaughn, was a former county agricultural agent hired by Gray to be farm manager. Vaughn devoted his time during this early period to planting orchards, assembling machinery and livestock, and preparing the land. With their work and planning and with the efforts of the other members of the cooperative, the Saline Valley Farms grew but never really prospered financially. The depression was in part responsible for the early success of the Farms. At the close of World War II, Gray confronted the unsteady economic state of the operation. Workers were able to get better wages outside; Gray had difficulty getting people to work for him at the prices he could afford to pay. Finally, in 1953, he decided to abandon the program and in 1959 the cooperative was formally dissolved.

Gray kept the property until 1969 when he sold it to the Teamsters Union for their use as a recreational and retirement center.

Gray died April 5, 1972.

From the guide to the Harold S. Gray Papers, 1896-1972, (Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan)