The George Mason University Debate Team has stood for more than five decades as one of the nation’s premier teams and is consistently ranked among the top five programs in the country. This intercollegiate team’s legacy of excellence is built on academic rigor, accessibility, and community. It is a program that transforms students—regardless of their starting point—into confident, critical thinkers prepared to lead.
Burton C. Gray Jr., BA Economics and English ’95, knows this transformation firsthand. Gray has built a career that defies linear paths. A serial entrepreneur, he has led businesses in independent music, film production, software development, and agriculture. He has also supported local ventures like DC Brau Brewing Company and has served on several nonprofit boards focused on education, health, and community initiatives.
The skills he learned on the George Mason Debate Team have been a throughline in his career, he said, and he considers his experience on team as a cornerstone of his success.
“Debate taught me how to become an expert on complex issues in a matter of hours,” Gray said. “Whether it was copyright law in the music industry or negotiating partnerships, the skills I learned in argument and analysis helped me understand how to take a stronger position and get things done.”
Gray also recalled his experience with longtime team director Warren Decker, who retired in 2022 after 48 years of teaching and service.
“Decker challenged me in a way I hadn’t been challenged before,” Gray said. “He made it clear debate wasn’t about talking a good game—debate was about committing, researching, working hard, and showing up every day. That lesson stuck with me.”
Today, the George Mason Debate Team continues its tradition of success under the leadership of Jackie Poapst, who serves as the inaugural Warren Decker Director of Debate. The director position was endowed in 2022 and named in honor of Decker’s service by George Mason Debate Team alum Leonard Bennett, BS Finance ’89, JD ’94.
Gray has committed to strengthening the George Mason debate community with a gift of $150,000 to support Decker Grants.
“The Decker Grants enable us to recruit and support students to this critical experiential learning opportunity and to provide them with the coaching support they need to succeed,” Poapst said.
“Scholarship resources and program support really matter,” Gray said. “These funds help level the playing field for George Mason students, who excel year-after-year in highly competitive environments. It’s important to show students’ commitment through community, and I’m hoping my gift demonstrates support to the assistant coaches, mentors, and students who contribute to the team’s legacy.”
Gray’s philanthropy is rooted in his desire to give back, and he encourages George Mason community members and team alumni to join him in support of these talented students.
“Debate changes the way you think, the way you listen, and the way you connect with people,” he said. “As part of the George Mason Debate Team, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere; you become academically fearless and intellectually formidable.”
Support from alumni like Gray is part of the university’s Mason Now: Power the Possible campaign and ensures the George Mason Debate Team remains nationally competitive and transformational for future leaders who are preparing to take on tomorrow’s challenges.
To join Burton C. Gray, Jr. in support of the George Mason Debate Team, visit the team’s giving page online.