George William Gray CBE FRS (4 September 1926 – 12 May 2013) was a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Hull who was instrumental in developing the long-lasting materials which made liquid crystal displays possible.

He created and systematically developed liquid crystal materials science, and established a method of practical molecular design.

[3] In 1973, in conjunction with the Royal Radar Establishment, Gray showed that 4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl possessed a stable nematic phase at room temperature.

[5] This compound and other long-lasting cyano-biphenyls made the twisted nematic display (LCD) popular.

[6] Gray was recipient of the 1995 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1991.