Oral history interview with Richard Ray, 1989 July 6

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Collection:
Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
Title:
Oral history interview with Richard Ray, 1989 July 6
Creator:
Ray, Richard Belmont, 1927-1999
Contributor to Resource:
Steely, Mel
University of West Georgia. Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
Publisher:
Carrollton, Ga. : University of West Georgia Special Collections in association with the Digital Library of Georgia
Date of Original:
1989-07-06
Subject:
Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Legislators--Georgia--Interviews
Mayors--Georgia--Perry--Interviews
Brookings Institution
United States. Civil Rights Act of 1964
Depressions--1929
United States. Clean Air Act
United States. Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Atlanta Constitution
Coca-Cola Company
Democratic Party (U.S.)
Democratic Leadership Council (U.S.)
Emory University
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
United States. Farmers Home Administration
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Future Farmers of America
Georgia. General Assembly
Georgia Municipal Association
Georgia State College for Women
Georgia State Patrol
International Business Machines Corporation
Jaycees International
Mercer University
National Pest Control Association
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
United States Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
United States. Army
United States. Navy
University of Georgia
Maui (Transport ship)
Rowan (Destroyer : DD 405)
Ray, Richard Belmont, 1927-1999--Interviews
Ray, Richard Belmont, 1927-1999--Family
Bell, Griffin B., 1918-
Boone, Daniel
Brinkley, Jack
Brooks, Jack, 1922-
Carlow, Tom
Chiles, Lawton, 1930-1998
Crane, Philip M., 1930-
Cranston, Alan MacGregor
Domenici, Pete
Dukakis, Michael S. (Michael Stanley), 1933-
Ford, Gerald R., 1913-2006
Gambrell, David Henry, 1929-
Gephardt, Richard A. (Richard Andrew), 1941-
Gingrich, Newt
Gonzalez, Henry B. (Henry Barbosa), 1916-2000
Gore, Albert, 1948-
Harris, Joe Frank
Jackson, Henry M.(Henry Martin), 1912-1983
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
Jordan, Hamilton
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963
Kidd, Culver, 1914-1995
Lane, Mills B. (Mills Bee), 1912-1989
Linder, Thomas Mercer, 1887-1978
Marshall, F. Ray
Mattingly, Mack, 1931-
McGovern, George S. (George Stanley), 1922-
Moore, Frank
Nunn, Sam
Perdue, Tom
Plunkett, Lamar Rich, 1911-
Powell, Jody, 1943-2009
Reagan, Ronald
Sanders, Carl Edward, 1925-
Thompson, Fletcher, 1925-
Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-
Vinson, Carl, 1883-1981
Warner, John W., 1927-
Rangel, Charles B.
Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)
School integration
Korean War, 1950-1953
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Warnikc, Paul
Washington, George
Weicker, Lowell
Woodham, David
World War, 1939-1945
People:
Russell, Richard B. (Richard Brevard), 1897-1971
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968
Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
Location:
Japan, Tokyo Bay, 35.6828387, 139.7594549
Panama, Panama Canal, 8.99797, -79.59269
U.S. Outlying Islands, Wake Island, 19.28012, 166.64828
United States, District of Columbia, Washington, 38.89511, -77.03637
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Georgia, Baldwin County, Milledgeville, 33.08014, -83.2321
United States, Georgia, Bleckley County, Cochran, 32.38683, -83.35461
United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Savannah, 32.08354, -81.09983
United States, Georgia, Chattahoochee County, 32.34697, -84.78705
United States, Georgia, Clarke County, Athens, 33.96095, -83.37794
United States, Georgia, Crawford County, 32.7145, -83.98634
United States, Georgia, Crawford County, Roberta, 32.72181, -84.01324
United States, Georgia, Decatur County, Bainbridge, 30.9038, -84.57547
United States, Georgia, Dodge County, Chester, 32.39378, -83.15293
United States, Georgia, Dooly County, Unadilla, 32.26155, -83.73657
United States, Georgia, Early County, Blakely, 31.37768, -84.93409
United States, Georgia, Franklin County, Lavonia, 34.43594, -83.10682
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
United States, Georgia, Hall County, 34.31689, -83.81968
United States, Georgia, Hall County, Gainesville, 34.29788, -83.82407
United States, Georgia, Houston County, Perry, 32.45821, -83.73157
United States, Georgia, Houston County, Robins Air Force Base, 32.60911, -83.58444
United States, Georgia, Houston County, Warner Robins, 32.61574, -83.62664
United States, Georgia, Muscogee County, Columbus, 32.46098, -84.98771
United States, Georgia, Peach County, 32.56878, -83.82688
United States, Georgia, Sumter County, 32.03997, -84.19704
United States, Georgia, Sumter County, Americus, 32.07239, -84.23269
United States, Georgia, Toombs County, Vidalia, 32.21769, -82.41346
United States, Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, 41.85003, -87.65005
United States, Maryland, Cecil County, Naval Training Center Bainbridge (historical), 39.6125, -76.09167
United States, North Carolina, Watauga County, Boone, 36.21679, -81.67455
United States, South Carolina, Charleston County, Charleston, 32.77657, -79.93092
United States, Utah, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, 40.76078, -111.89105
United States, Virginia, Arlington County, Pentagon, 38.87095, -77.05526
Medium:
oral histories (literary works)
moving images
Type:
Moving Image
Format:
video/mp4
Description:
Richard Belmont Ray (1927-1999) was born on February 2, 1927 in Fort Valley, Georgia. He graduated from high school in 1944 and went into the United States Navy during World War II, serving until 1946. After his service, he worked as a farmer and businessman before entering Democratic politics. He served as mayor of Perry, Georgia from 1964-1970, during the same time that Sam Nunn was the city attorney. When Nunn was elected to the United States Senate in 1972, he took Ray along as his administrative assistant. Ray worked in this position for ten years, and was elected to represent Georgia's 3rd Congressional District in 1982. Ray was known as a conservative, pro-life Democrat who advocated for veterans and military bases. He was also one of Georgia's wealthiest representatives at the time. After losing his seat to Republican Mac Collins in 1992, Ray started a consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia. He died in 1999 in Macon, Georgia due to complications during emergency heart valve-replacement surgery.; Interviewed by Mel Steely on July 6, 1989.; The interview begins with a discussion on Richard Ray's childhood. He talks about his religious background, as well as his years in school. He talks about how World War II affected his time at high school, and his decision to join the Navy. Ray answers questions about his young adulthood, his wife, and their struggles to establish themselves. He discusses being a business man in the 1950s and his struggles with the pest control businesses. Ray talks about serving during the time of integration and Civil Rights, and how he handled issues surrounding the black and white people of his community resisted the change. The next part of the interview focuses on Jimmy Carter and Ray's relationship with him as well as other Georgia governors. Dr. Steely also asks Ray several questions over the course of the interview about Sam Nunn. The third portion of the interview continues with a discussion on Jimmy Carter. Ray also shows his care for his staff, saying that whenever he would receive a letter of thanks from his constituents, he would make sure to forward it to whomever on his staff was involved with that particular issue. They conclude the interview by discussing the politicians that Ray considered did the best job as well as those who may have been good politicians but made some poor decisions.
External Identifiers:
Metadata URL:
https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_ray19890706
Digital Object URL:
https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:ray19890706
Language:
eng
Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
Cite as: [interview title], Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program oral history interviews. Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library, University of West Georgia
Extent:
1 transcript; 3 interviews (circa 55 mins.; circa 60 mins.; circa 61 mins.)
Original Collection:
Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program oral history interviews. Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library, State University of West Georgia
Holding Institution:
University of West Georgia. Special Collections
Rights:
In Copyright