Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

mined to make this his profession in life.
How brilliant a student he was may be
seen from the fact that when he had
studied only two years at the University,
he took his bar examinations and passed,
but was, nevertheless, not permitted to
practice until he had finished his course
in college and graduated therefrom. He
finally graduated with the class of 1916,
being the thirteenth in his examinations
out of a class of one hundred and thirty-
nine students that passed. He then received
his degree of Doctor of Laws, and
since that time has been active in the
practice of his profession. He established
himself at first in Thompsonville, but
shortly afterwards opened another office
in Hartford, where he became a member
of the firm of Fletcher & Luddy. He
gives promise of becoming one of the
leaders in his profession in this region.
Mr. Luddy has also interested himself
most keenly and most actively in the
cause of Ireland's independence, having
been trained from early childhood to feel
very strongly upon this subject by his
father. While he was yet in school, Mr.
Luddy organized the First Irish Society
there and since that time he has spoken
in various parts of Connecticut on this
subject and written many newspaper
articles. His mind is a very active one
and he has never feared to undertake
what might seem like onerous tasks to
the average man, and it was while he was
still in school that he first began his con-
nection with the newspapers and journal-
ism. He wrote for six years in all for
various publications, was police reporter
for the "Hartford Post" for two years
and was court and capital reporter for
the "Hartford Times" for a similar period.
While at the Catholic University in
Washington, D. C, he was for two years
political correspondent for five Connecti-
cut papers. He is prominent in Republican
politics, often serving as campaign
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
254
speaker, but has never aspired to public
office. Mr. Luddy is a prominent figure
in social circles in Hartford, and is a
member of many associations and clubs
there. He is affiliated with the local
lodge of the Ancient Order of Hibernians,
is a member of the City Club of Hartford
and of the Press Club of Washington, D.
C. In his religious belief he is a Roman
Catholic, and is active in the work of his
parish in Hartford. He is unmarried.
GRAY, Merwin,
Broker.
Merwin Gray, senior partner of Merwin
Gray & Company, a prominent brokerage
firm of Hartford, was born in Red-
ding, Connecticut, March 15, 1877, the
son of Charles S. and Harriet N. (Merwin)
Gray, and a descendant of an old
and distinguished New England family,
prominent since the early Colonial days.
Charles S. Gray, his father, was born
in Redding, removed in his youth to New
Haven, Connecticut, where he later became
prominently indentified with the
dry goods business. Mr. Gray enlisted
in Company B, Fourteenth Connecticut
Regiment, and was commissioned a second
lieutenant of that company. In later
life he went West and settled in Los An-
geles, California, where he died in 1908,
at the age of fifty-eight years. He married
Harriet N., a daughter of Smith and
Amelia (Painter) Merwin, and a descend-
ant on the maternal side of the Painter
family identified with the history of New
Haven since Revolutionary days. Mr.
and Mrs. Gray were the parents of three
children: 1. Fannie, who became the wife
of Clarence C. Andrew. 2. Bertha, who
became the wife of Charles Edward Rich-
ards. 3. Merwin, of further mention.
Merwin Gray removed with his parents
at an early age to New Haven, where
he received his schooling in the New