how long was robert d. ray a lawyer

Who is Robert Ray?

Robert Dolph Ray (September 26, 1928 – July 8, 2018) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. He served as the 38th Governor of Iowa from January 16, 1969 to January 14, 1983.

What did Bob Ray do after he left office?

After leaving the governor's office in 1983, Ray became CEO of Life Investors Inc, an insurance company. Ray served as interim mayor of Des Moines from May to November 1997. Ray was the interim president of Drake University in 1998.

What college did Bill Ray go to?

Ray graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1946. After high school, Ray served in the United States Army. Ray received a B.A. in business from Drake University in 1952 and a law degree in 1954. Ray began his career as a trial lawyer.

What did Bob Ray do for Iowa?

Following several years practicing law, Ray became chair of the Iowa Republican Party in 1963. In 1969, Ray became the Governor of Iowa. During Ray's time in office, the Iowa Constitution was modified, increasing the governor's term of office from two years to four years. Ray served as chair of the National Governors Association from 1975 to 1976.

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When was Robert Ray born?

Few names in Iowa’s 172-year history are as instantly recognizable as Robert D. Ray. He was born in Des Moines September 26, 1928 and passed away in Des Moines on July 8, 2018. In the intervening years, Robert D. Ray’s leadership touched the lives of generations of Iowans on dozens of fronts and reached global impact on several occasions.

Who are Robert Ray's children?

Robert D. Ray is survived by his wife Billie; their three children: Randi (Bill) Watson, Lu Ann (Bill) Newland, and Victoria (Mark) Carlson; and eight grandchildren: John and Michael Watson; Robert, Jeffrey and Billie Newland; and Emma, Leah, and Sadie Carlson.

What awards did Governor Ray receive?

Governor Ray received numerous other awards, including the Variety Club of Iowa’s Humanitarian Award, Meredith Wilson Heritage Award, and Central Iowa Philanthropy Award. Ray was the first recipient of the Des Moines Register’s Iowa Star Award after having been named by the paper in 2000 as ‘The Most Influential Iowan of the 20 th Century.’ Ray was a Des Moines Business Record ‘Sages Over 70’ recipient. He was inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame, the Business Hall of Achievement, and Iowa Business Hall of Fame.

What was the impact of the Ray years on Iowa?

During the Ray years, Iowa’s judicial system was reformed and community-based corrections implemented. Students at two dozen private colleges benefitted from the novel Iowa Tuition Grant program. Ray worked with business and labor on breakthrough legislation while improving Iowa’s business climate and promoting ag-business trade on three continents.

Where did Rays move to?

After leaving office, the Rays moved to Cedar Rapids where he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Life Investors, Inc., later known as AEGON. The Rays moved back to Des Moines when he became President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, nka Wellmark. Ray owned radio station KILR in Estherville and was co-owner of WMT in Cedar Rapids.

When did Ray run for governor?

Ray’s leadership prompted Republicans of all stripes to ask him to run for Governor in 1968. After winning a hard fought three-way primary, and surviving an airplane crash, Ray was elected Iowa’s 38 th Governor. He was re-elected in 1970 and 1972, and to Iowa’s first four-year gubernatorial terms, in 1974 and 1978. Because Iowans appreciated his steady, open, bipartisan leadership, Ray became the state’s first four-term, then five-term Governor.

Who is Governor Ray?

Governor Ray was a member of the Iowa Business Council and served on the boards of directors of The Maytag Corporation, AEGON USA, Norwest Bank (nka Wells Fargo) and Alliant Energy.

When did Governor Ray leave office?

The old saw about Ray goes that by the time he left office in 1983 , he had served as governor so long that a generation of schoolchildren thought Governor Ray was one word. Children would ask their teachers who the “Governorray” was of neighboring states.

What made Ray the statewide name?

It took a nearly fatal plane crash to make Ray a statewide name.

What did the Tai Dam refugees take Ray into?

The conditions left him and the others badly shaken. At one point, Tai Dam refugees took Ray into a hut. On the wall was a map of Iowa filled with pins where Tai Dam people had resettled in the state.

Why did farmers leaned against Ray?

Farmers still leaned against Ray because of their property tax burdens. Ray won by 34,000 votes, the narrowest victory in his career.

When did Ray move to Terrace Hill?

Democrats couldn’t move Ray out of the governor’s chair, but he did make a move in 1976 — to Terrace Hill.

When did Ray and the governors of Michigan and New Jersey visit refugee camps in Thailand?

In October 1979 , Ray and the governors of Michigan and New Jersey took a trip to visit refugee camps in Thailand. Quinn accompanied the group.

Who was the state department official who was in the Dubuque massacre?

Accompanying the refugees was a State Department official named Ken Quinn, a native of the Bronx, N.Y., who had grown up in Dubuque.