Dixy Lee Ray
American marine biologist, politician and seventeenth governor of Washington (1914-1994) · United States · On the map · Politicians · Died at 79
Dixy Lee Ray was an American academic, scientist, and politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. Variously described as idiosyncratic and "ridiculously smart," she was the state's first female governor and was in office during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Dixy Lee Ray is read about 80 times a day, in 17 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 18 September 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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1994Died2 January 19941975William Procter Prize for Scientific AchievementAward1974Ladies' Home Journal Women of the YearAward1973United Nations Peace MedalAward1952Guggenheim FellowshipAward1914Born3 September 1914
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Photos 9
At the age of 12, Ray became the youngest girl to summit Mount Rainier.
Dixy Lee Ray presents the Pacific Science Center's "Arches of Science" award to Nobel Laureate Glenn Seaborg in 1968. At the time Seaborg was Chair of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, a position Ray would hold several years later.
Ray and her dogs Ghillie and Jacques inspect the Hanford nuclear reservation. With them is Thomas Nemzek, at the time Director of Reactor R&D.
Ray speaking with Robert Sachs, director of the Argonne National Laboratory, c. 1974
Governor Ray at Washington State Employees Credit Union open house in 1977
Dixy Lee Ray signing a bill into law in the rotunda of the Legislative Building in Olympia
While Washington's chief executive, Ray split her time between the Governor's Mansion (pictured) and a trailer on rural Fox Island.Awards
About this person
She was a supporter of atomic energy.
Country
United States
Category
Politicians
Type
Politician
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1914 to 1994 · aged 79
