Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that his pick to be the new director of the FBI is former Atlanta federal prosecutor Christopher Wray, whose family has deep ties to the city.
The family of his wife, Helen Wray – formerly Helen Howell – has a storied history in Atlanta, stretching back more than a century and touching its political, media and financial sectors.
Here are five things to know about Helen Wray and her family:
1. Howell Mill Road is named after the Howells. The street name originated from a mill named after the family, which was located on Peachtree Creek. The Wrays currently live in a home, valued at $2.3 million, not far from Howell Mill Road.
2. Her great-grandfather, Clark Howell, once owned The Atlanta Constitution, which later merged with the Atlanta Journal to form The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
3. Her family already has a background in federal government. In 1922, President Warren G. Harding placed Clark Howell on a special mining commission, and later to a national transportation commission.
4. Helen Wray’s father, Henry Howell, worked for 30 years for the First National Bank of Atlanta, which later merged with Wachovia. He did commercial, international, and private banking.
5. The family has a long history with The Westminster Schools, a private Christian school in Atlanta -- Helen Wray, her father and her two children (Caroline and Trip) all graduated from Westminster.
