Dixy Lee Ray

Dixy Lee Ray
Name	Dixy Lee Ray
Caption	Ray in 1977
Order	17th
Office	Governor of Washington
Lieutenant	John Cherberg
Term start	January 12, 1977
Term end	January 14, 1981
Predecessor	Daniel J. Evans
Successor	John Spellman
Birth date	3 September 1914
Birth place	Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Death date	2 January 1994
Death place	Fox Island, Washington, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Education	Mills College (BA), Stanford University (MA, PhD)

Dixy Lee Ray was an American marine biologist, educator, and politician who served as the 17th Governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, she was known for her blunt, often controversial style and her strong advocacy for nuclear power and scientific advancement. Prior to her governorship, she chaired the United States Atomic Energy Commission and was an assistant secretary of state. Her career was marked by a lifelong commitment to public science policy and environmental education.

Early life and education

Born in Tacoma, Washington, she was the daughter of Alvis Marion Ray, a commercial printer, and Frances Adams. She developed an early interest in the natural world exploring the shores of Puget Sound. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in zoology from Mills College in Oakland, California in 1937. She then pursued graduate studies at Stanford University, where she received a Master of Arts in 1938 and a Doctor of Philosophy in biology in 1945, completing a dissertation on the invertebrate fauna of the Monterey Bay region.

Career in marine biology

She began her academic career as a professor of zoology at the University of Washington in 1945, where she taught for over two decades. Her research focused on marine invertebrates and intertidal zone ecology, and she was a passionate science communicator. She served as director of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle from 1963 to 1972, transforming it into a major regional institution. During this time, she also hosted a popular weekly television program, "Animals of the Seashore," which brought marine science to a broad public audience in the Pacific Northwest.

Political career

Her expertise in science policy led to her appointment by President Richard Nixon as a member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission in 1972. She was subsequently appointed chair of the AEC by President Nixon in 1973, becoming the first woman to lead the agency. In this role, she was a staunch defender of nuclear energy and oversaw the nation's nuclear reactor research and development programs. In 1975, President Gerald Ford appointed her as United States Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, a position she held briefly before resigning to run for governor.

Governor of Washington

She won the 1976 gubernatorial election, defeating Republican John Spellman. Her administration was characterized by fiscal conservatism, support for major industrial projects like the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant, and frequent clashes with the Washington State Legislature and environmental groups. Notable events included her handling of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and a major political battle over the state's superintendent of public instruction. She lost the Democratic primary in 1980 to Jim McDermott and left office in January 1981.

Later life and death

After leaving the Washington State Capitol, she returned to her home on Fox Island, Washington, in Pierce County. She remained an active public speaker and writer, co-authoring the books Trashing the Planet (1990) and Environmental Overkill (1993), which criticized the environmental movement. She died of bronchopneumonia at her home on January 2, 1994, and was buried at the Fox Island Cemetery.

Legacy and honors

She is remembered as a pioneering woman in both science and politics, known for her independent and contrarian views. The Dixy Lee Ray Memorial Award is given annually by the Pacific Science Center for outstanding achievement in public communication of science. A Washington State ferry, the M/V *Dixy Lee Ray*, was named in her honor, as was the Dixy Lee Ray Professorship at the University of Washington. Her papers are housed at the University of Washington Libraries.

Category:1914 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Governors of Washington (state) Category:American marine biologists