Karen Gray

Karen Foster Gray was the fifth Iowa Alpha recipient of the Tau Beta Pi Woman's Badge, graduating from Iowa State with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1960. She recalls being honored and please to receive the Tau Beta Pi Woman's Badge when she was a student in Chemical Engineering.

She worked as a chemical engineer/physical chemist after graduation and when she and her husband started their family, she chose to stay at home and raise their children. Her Husband, James A. Gray, was also a 1960 ISU Chemical Engineering graduate and he went on to recieve a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State in 1965. His employment by the Dow Corning Corporation took them to Midland, Michigan where they established their home. Her husband worked for Dow Corning for 35 years until his retirement,  and she recalls that during this time she had very little to do with chemistry, per se, except for several years when she taught high school chemistry to adults desiring to work for the Dow Corning Corporation.

Karen Gray passed away on July 25, 2012.

Paver Inscription:

"Iowa Alpha Chapter of Tau Beta Pi
Women's Badge Recipients:
Eloise Zimmerman '46 Arch E
Mary Hurd '47 Civil E
Jane Templeman '53 Arch
Judy May '58 Chem E
Karen Gray '60 Chem E
Idelle Peterson '60 Chem E
Beverly Audeh '61 Aero E
Mardith Baenziger '68 Arch E"