The Woodward Alumni Hall of Fame Association
James S. Adray Inducted 2018 - Class of 1968
A proud member of Woodward's Class of 1968, James was the product of Lebanese parents and was born and raised on Noble Street within the shadow of St. Vincent's Hospital. James’s introduction to public school started at Sherman Elementary, culminating with Woodward High School. Active in the Student Council Government, it was during his tenure as Student Council President, in 1968, that funding for Woodward’s football stadium was allocated and developed.
James credits four of Woodward's teachers in aiding his development as a successful lawyer. Robert Geis taught that the concept of leadership was as much listening as action, Miss Markopoulos did not accept excuses and demanded excellent grammar and performance at the highest level possible, Ed Boblitt was quick witted with a great background of facts coupled with both humor and sarcasm in defusing tough situations. Extra-curricular activities at Woodward were outstanding, James went on to say that "I truly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the Woodward Extravaganzas; Carnival in 1967, and Oliver in1968."
During Jim's high school years, he was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America, where he had the distinction of being the only Muslim in an otherwise all Jewish troop in the Erie Shores Council. This early combination of ideals nurtured Jim's leadership and adventurous spirit to explore the world around him. In 1996, Jim traveled with Dr. S. Amjad Hussain in an expedition of exploration to the headwaters of the Indus River in Tibet and Pakistan.
Jim's community spirit is evident and prominently featured in WGTE's documentaries, TOLEDO STORIES. Jim was one of the leaders in the development, construction, and planning of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, which is located at the confluence of 1-75 and 1-475 in Perrysburg, as well as the Center's reopening in 2014 after being severely damaged by arson.
A lawyer by trade, Jim and his wife have three children of whom he is very proud. Libby is a Special Education Teacher in the Washington, D.C. area; Aimee has her PhD. in Clinical Psychology, serves as Director for the Unison Centers of greater Toledo; and Sam is an Outside Sales Professional for the Toledo Tool and Die Company.
Jim is active in encouraging the Greater Toledo Area's youth to participate in sports through his longstanding work as a baseball umpire for JV and Varsity high school games. He is also active in the Bowling Green area (Carter Park) as an umpire for baseball games in the 8-14 age group. As reported by the BLADE's Tom Walton, Jim Adray encouraged other adults to get involved and talked Tom into joining the ranks of "local" umps, too.