Gray was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister,[1] and he is one of the few Canadians granted the honorific The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.

[2] Gray attended Victoria School and Kennedy Collegiate Institute in Windsor[1] before receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1952 from McGill University.

He was re-elected in twelve subsequent federal elections, making him the longest continuously-serving Member of Parliament in Canadian history.

[5] Gray served in a variety of roles during his parliamentary career, including cabinet ministries and committee chairmanships during the Liberal governments of Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, and as opposition House leader from 1984 to 1990.

When the Liberals returned to power after the 1993 election, Gray was appointed Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada.

Gray retired from Parliament on January 14, 2002, and was appointed Canadian Chair of the International Joint Commission, a bilateral organization which deals with Canada-United States trans-boundary issues on water and air rights.