Gregory Gray Garland Jr. (April 15, 1924 – May 29, 2020) was an American attorney, businessman, author, and magazine publisher. He was also chairman of the

Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio in the H ...

Early life

Garland was born in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. His parents were Lula W. and Gregory Gray Garland of 112 Cathedral Place in Richmond. His father was the district superintendent for Autocar Sales and Service Company in Richmond. However, in the mid 1930s, his father became disabled in serious fall. He attended St. Christopher's School in Richmond, where he graduated in 1942 and received the General Prize for Excellence in Journalism for his work with ''The Pine Needle''. He then enrolled in the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

for a year. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in 1943, he enlisted in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

as an ensign. He served as a communications officer on a submarine chaser in the Pacific; his ship was damaged during Typhoon Louise in October 1945. In May 1945, he was sent to a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

conference in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. He was picked for a small group of Navy and Army personnel to attend the conference because of his background, conduct, and talent. After the war in September 1946, he entered the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

on the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

. While there, he was a member of

St. Anthony Hall St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on , the Calendar of saints, feast day of Anthony the Great, Saint Anthony the Great. The frater ...

before graduating with a B.A. in 1947. He also went to

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

, graduating in 1949. Known as the Gold Rush Class, the Harvard Business School Class of 1949 generated more company presidents and CEOs than any other class. His father-in-law suggested that he become a lawyer, and Garland enrolled in the

Duquesne University School of Law The Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. ...

, graduating in 1954.

Career

In 1949, Garland went to

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

with just 24¢ and a

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger ...

card. He co-founded McCann, Garland, Ridall, and Burke Esq. This law firm specializes in corporate and commercial law, estate planning, nonprofit law, and real estate, but he was most interested in tax law, mergers, and acquisitions. In 1962, he founded Unionvale Coal Company which distributed coal from

Ligonier, Pennsylvania Ligonier is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,513 at the 2020 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idlewild Park, one of the oldest amusement parks in t ...

. He also purchased Youngstown Steel Tank, Machinex, and ''Embassy'' magazine in New York City. He was chairman Greenville Metals,

, Ranger Investments, and Union National Bank. His specialty was to "take companies and turn them around." He incorporated his wartime and personal life experiences into three novels, including the thriller ''Top Secret:'' ''Escape from Iran''.

Publications

* ''The Swiss Bank Account of Baroness Von Braunstein: An Exciting Adventure Story.'' Dorrance Publishing Company, 2016. * ''Four Knights: A Novel of World War II''. World Association Publishers, 2015. * ''Top Secret: Escape From Iran.'' Author House, 2009.

Personal life

Garland married Margaret "Peggy" Garland McCann on August 23, 1948, at Trinity Cathedral in

. Their reception was at the University Club. She was the daughter of John A. McCann of Pittsburgh, an attorney. Peggy predeceased Garland after 58 years of marriage. Their daughters were Margaret and Gayle. In 1980, Garland was invited to visit Liberian President

William Tolbert William Richard Tolbert Jr. (13 May 1913 – 12 April 1980) was a Liberian politician who served as the 20th president of Liberia from 1971 until 1980. Tolbert was an Americo-Liberian and trained as a civil servant before entering the House of ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

. During their stay with the president and his wife in April 1980, the Garlands found themselves amid a coup where the president was executed. The Garlands fled Liberia during the cover of night. Garland served on the board of directors of the

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) was established "To protect the rights and address the needs of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide and support their transition to a dignified life." History The history of t ...

. He was a member of St. James Episcopal Church in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. He was also a member of The Brook Club in New York City, the

Duquesne Club The Duquesne Club is a private social club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded in 1873. History The Duquesne Club was founded in 1873. Its first president was John H. Ricketson. The club's present home, a Romanesque structure designed by Lon ...

, Fox Chapel Golf Club, and

Rolling Rock Club Rolling Rock Club is a private country club located on along U.S. Route 30 about SE of Pittsburgh, in Laughlintown, Pennsylvania, Ligonier Valley. History Rolling Rock Club was originally of land owned by Judge Thomas Mellon, who left it to his ...

. In 2005, Garland donated an athletic field to the

Winchester Thurston School Winchester Thurston School is an independent, coeducational preparatory school located in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established in 1887, Winchester Thurston offers PK–12 education in Lower, Middle, and Upper Scho ...

in memory of his wife who had attended the school. In 2020, he died in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garland 02, Gregory Gray 1924 births 2020 deaths People from Richmond, Virginia St. Christopher's School (Richmond, Virginia) alumni University of Virginia alumni Virginia Military Institute alumni St. Anthony Hall Harvard Business School alumni Duquesne University School of Law alumni Lawyers from Pittsburgh American business executives American railroad executives 21st-century American novelists Episcopalians from Virginia Magazine publishers (people)