Labor scholar, labor educator, labor activist – Lois is a pioneer in many realms. She was one of the first women hired as a field examiner for the National Labor Relations Board under the Wagner Act (1945), director of the first extension office of Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (in Buffalo in 1947), and then of their New York City office starting in 1956. Her involvement in the March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963), and subsequent Civil Rights actions, her labor activism, and her early involvement in the women’s movement all shape her research and teaching.
Among the innovations introduced under her leadership were "training the trainers" for industry and unions, the Institute for Women and Work, the Latino Leadership Center, international worker exchange, off-campus credit and certificate courses, and Programs for Employment and Workplace Systems.
Gray was appointed by three governors to chair the New York State Apprenticeship and Training Council and served on the New York State Manpower Training Council and Displaced Homemakers Taskforce. Her publications deal with labor market trends, women and minorities, training and adult education, labor management relations, and the governance and administration of labor unions.
Labor scholar, labor educator, labor activist – Lois is a pioneer in many realms. She was one of the first women hired as a field examiner for the National Labor Relations Board under the Wagner Act (1945), director of the first extension office of Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (in Buffalo in 1947), and then of their New York City office starting in 1956. Her involvement in the March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963), and subsequent Civil Rights actions, her labor activism, and her early involvement in the women’s movement all shape her research and teaching.