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; 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 Washington, D.C.-local ventures like DC Brau Brewing Company and has served on several nonprofit boards focused on education, health, and community initiatives.
A through line in his career has been his passion for film, either as a producer or executive producer, and credit goes back to the George Mason Debate Team, a cornerstone to his success.
“Debate taught me how to become an expert on complex issues in a matter of hours,” Gray says. “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 recalls his experience with Warren Decker, the longtime team director 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.
Poapst is focused on cultivating the next generation of the team, and Gray is committed to strengthening the community around them with a gift of $150,000 in Decker Grants.
“Gray understands, first-hand, the career-ready skills students gain from being part of the George Mason Debate Team, such as research, organization, and public speaking” remarks Poapst. “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.”
At George Mason, we empower our students to apply their classroom knowledge directly to real-world experiences. These career-building opportunities can set students up for success when they graduate.
“Scholarship resources and program support really matter,” says Gray. “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 our George Mason community 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 says. “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.
----
The George Mason Debate Team was founded in 1974 and has been a core program fulfilling the university’s history of excellence in teaching and research. The team has been consistently ranked in the top five programs in the country by the Cross Examination Debate Association, the American Debate Association, and the National Debate Tournament sweepstakes championships. The George Mason Debate Team is a co-curricular program housed within the Communication Department at George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
To join Burton C. Gray, Jr. in support of the George Mason Debate Team, visit the team’s giving page online.
October 16, 2025