Ivor Thord-Gray


Ivor Thord-Gray was a Swedish-born adventurer, sailor, prison guard, soldier, government official, police officer, rubber plantation owner, ethnologist, linguist, investor, and author. He participated in thirteen wars spanning the continents of Africa, Asia, North America, and Europe.

Early life

Thord Ivar Hallström was born in the Södermalm district in central Stockholm, Kingdom of Sweden as the second son of a primary school teacher, August Hallström, and his wife Hilda. His eldest brother was the artist :sv:Gunnar Hallström|Gunnar August Hallström. His youngest brother was the archaeologist Gustaf Hallström.

Military service and civilian employment (1893-1919)

Africa

South Africa

Philippines

In 1923, Ivor Thord-Gray returned to Sweden and wrote a book about Mexican archeology Från Mexicos forntid : bland tempelruiner och gudabilder.

United States

In 1925 Thord-Gray moved to the United States and established I.T. Gray & Co, an investment bank located at 522 Fifth Avenue in New York City. He became a citizen of the United States in 1934. He was married to Josephine Toerge-Schaefer who had two children, Edward and Frances. He was subsequently married to Winnifred Ingersoll. In 1929, he established residence at Gray Court in Belle Haven in Greenwich, Connecticut. In August 1935 he was appointed Major-General and Chief-of-Staff to Governor David Sholtz of Florida.
In 1955, he wrote Tarahumara-English, English-Tarahumara dictionary and an introduction to Tarahumara grammar.. He also wrote a book about his experiences in the Mexican Revolution, Gringo Rebel: Mexico 1913–1914. In later years he had his winter home in Coral Gables, Florida.

Death