 Richard B. Ray Papers
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteRichard Belmont Ray, a representative of the third district of Georgia, was born in Fort Valley, Georgia in 1927. He graduated from Crawford County High School in 1944 and then joined the United States Navy, serving until 1946. After his military service, Ray farmed for a few years before becoming owner of a pest control company, which he operated until 1972. Ray began his political career in Perry, Georgia, serving as a member of the city council from 1962 to 1964 and as mayor from 1964 to 1970. It was as mayor that he first worked with Sam Nunn by appointing him to an advisory panel on race relations, an association that would last for the rest of his career. When Nunn was elected a U.S. senator in 1972, Ray went to Washington with him to be his administrative assistant. He held this position until 1982, when Ray ran for office himself following Representative Jack Brinkley's retirement. Ray, a Democrat, was elected to represent the third district of Georgia to the Ninety-eighth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1983-January 3, 1993). He served on the Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee. Beginning with the 101st Congress, Ray was named chairman of a special Armed Services panel on environmental problems at U.S. military facilities, investigating how to dispose of toxic waste in a safe and affordable manner. Throughout his career, Nunn and Ray frequently shared similar views, especially related to defense policy. Ray's involvement in the Armed Services Committee was important for his district, where Fort Benning and Robins Air Force Base were a significant part of the local economy. Ray also benefitted his district by having a historic site established in Plains, Georgia to honor former President Jimmy Carter. Ray was married to Barbara Elizabeth Giles and they had three children. He died in Macon, Georgia, on May 29, 1999. Scope and ContentThe Richard B. Ray Papers document Ray's service in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993 and include constituent mail, committee and legislation files, press files, office files, photographs and audiovisual materials. Common subjects include tax reform, balancing the federal budget, defense spending, Georgia military bases, Georgia businesses, and development projects in the third district. Organization and ArrangementDivided into nine series: I. Constituent Services; II. Legislative Files; III. Press Relations and Media Activities; IV. Political and Personal; V. District Offices; VI. Office; VII. Photographs; VIII. Artifacts; and IX. Audiovisual Materials. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessCase mail has been restricted. Preferred citationRichard B. Ray Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. User RestrictionsLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Howard H. (Bo) Callaway Papers George W. (Buddy) Darden Papers Related Collections in Other RepositoriesSam Nunn Papers, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University Sam Nunn Oral History Collection, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University | ||||||||||||||||||||||