Robert D. Ray Collection
Robert D. Ray
Cowles Library has archived the personal papers of Robert D. Ray, dating 1987-1999. The collection includes a variety of correspondence, documents, and publications.
Ray attended Drake University, receiving a B.A. degree in Business in 1952, then a Law degree in 1954. He was elected Governor of Iowa five times while serving in that office from 1969-1983. He served for two of those years as Chairman of the National Governors Association. He later served as an interim mayor for the city of Des Moines, as well as interim President of Drake University (1998-1999). In 2005, he was the first Governor to receive the Iowa Award, which is the state’s highest civilian honor.
