Christopher A. Wray

Birth Name: Christopher Asher Wray

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 17, 1966

Ethnicity: English, German, one eighth Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish, Scottish, distant Welsh

Christopher A. Wray is an American attorney. He has been Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, since August 2, 2017. He was previously U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, from September 11, 2003 to May 17, 2005. He was a litigation partner with King & Spalding.

Christopher is the son of Gilda and Cecil A. Wray, a lawyer at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City. He is married to Helen Garrison Howell, with whom he has two children.

Christopher’s paternal grandfather was named Thomas Cecil Wray. Thomas was city manager of Brentwood, Tennessee.

Christopher’s paternal grandmother was Margaret Malone (the daughter of Taylor Malone and Julia L. Campbell). Margaret was born in Tennessee. Taylor co-founded, and was president of, prominent wholesale grocery firm Malone & Hyde.

Christopher’s maternal grandfather was Samuel Eugene Gates (the son of Eugene Franklin Gates and Fannie Miller). Samuel was born in Lagro Township, Wabash, Indiana, and was an official of the Bureau of Air Commerce; he helped shape laws governing airline flights, both nationally and internationally. Christopher’s great-grandfather Eugene was the son of John Thomas Gates and Sarah Jane Eckert. Fannie was the daughter of John J. Miller and Catherine Chopson.

Christopher’s maternal grandmother was Philomene Asher (the daughter of Julius Benjamin Asher and Mary Katherine Brown). Philomene was born in Florida. Christopher’s great-grandfather Julius was Jewish. He was the son of Philipp Asher, who was born in Jackson, Mississippi; and of Cleona Weil, who was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, to a father from Billigheim-Ingenheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and a mother from Ingenheim, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France. Christopher’s great-grandmother Mary Katherine was born in North Carolina, the daughter of James Monroe Brown and Annie Elizabeth Powell.

Sources: Genealogy of Christopher A. Wray (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Death record of Christopher’s maternal grandfather, Samuel Eugene Gates – https://www.familysearch.org