Robert D. Ray

Robert D. Day (2007)

Robert Dolph Ray (born September 26, 1928 in Des Moines , Iowa , † July 8, 2018 there ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ). He was the 38th governor of the state of Iowa from 1969 to 1983 .

Early years

Robert Ray served in the US Army and studied law at Drake University . After that he was appointed as legal advisor ( Law Clerk ) at Iowa Senate hired. He also worked as a lawyer in Des Moines.

Political Promotion and Governor of Iowa

Ray was President of the Republicans in Iowa between 1963 and 1967. As a candidate for this party, he was elected the new governor of his state in 1968. Ray took up his new office on January 16, 1969 and, after several re-elections, held it until January 14, 1983. That was the longest term of office of a governor of Iowa to date. In this respect he was only surpassed by his successor Terry Branstad , who served between 1983 and 1999.

The state constitution was changed during Ray's reign. The term of office of a governor was extended from two to four years. Ray himself served three two-year and two four-year terms. In 1975 the governor allowed 13,000 Asian refugees to enter Iowa. His many successful re-elections underscore his popularity as governor. From 1975 to 1976 he was chairman of the National Governors Association and a member of various other governors' associations. In 1979 he was a member of the American delegation to a UN refugee conference in Geneva . Ray served as both the head of the Education Commission of the States and President of the Council of State Governments .

Another résumé

After serving as governor, he was acting mayor of Des Moines and executive director of Drake University. He also worked to expand education in Iowa and supported some initiatives in this area. He had three children with his wife, Billie Ray.

Web links

• Robert Ray in the National Governors Association (English)