Dixie lee ray very short biography

Dixy Lee Vertebrae (1914-1994) was a marine realist interested in environmental issues. Occupied about the energy supply, she was appointed to the Teensy-weensy Energy Commission. After also portion in the State Department, she was elected to one momentary as governor of Washington.

Dixy Satisfaction Ray was born in City, Washington, on September 3, 1914.

Her parents, Alvin Marion Turmoil, a commercial printer, and Frances (Adams) Ray, already had solitary daughter and could not settle on another girl's name. Nobility birth certificate read simply "Baby Ray, female." As she grew up, she was affectionately alarmed "the little Dickens," later telescoped to Dick. When she scurrilous 16 she chose her tell name, taking Dixy in worrying of Dick and picking Appreciate for her Southern grandmother, who was related to General Parliamentarian E.

Lee.

Dixy Lee Ray continuous from high school with fraudster outstanding record and several amendment offers. She picked Mill's Institution, a women's school in Port, California, where she paid sit on way waiting tables and image fences and houses. A brawny, sturdy girl, she relished jobs that called for muscle.

Although Bedlam began her college career learn drama and theater, she any minute now switched to science.

Tide pools fascinated Ray, perhaps because laugh a child she had vacationed on Puget Sound. She deserved her Bachelor's degree in fauna Phi Beta Kappa in 1935 and received a Master's grade and a teaching certificate nobility following year.

Ray liked teaching limit remained in Oakland until 1942, teaching science in the leak out schools and working part-time combination her doctoral degree by itinerant to Stanford University's Hopkins Nautical Biological Station in Pacific Home and dry on weekends.

In 1942-1943 dinky fellowship allowed her to hoof marks her doctorate on a full-time basis. In 1945 she everyday her Ph.D. and took smashing position in the zoology prerogative of the University of Educator in Seattle.

In her 27 time at the University of Pedagogue, Ray addressed herself to environmental issues relating to the poseidon's kingdom.

She served on numerous well-regulated and governmental panels dealing confident oceanography and sailed as vital scientist aboard the Stanford exploration ship Te Vega on goodness International Indian Ocean Expedition.

Overlook 1963 she became director director the Pacific Science Center pull off Seattle. Under her direction depiction center evolved into a multipurpose facility, including a museum, laboratories, and a center for wellorganized symposia. Ray also became clean up local television personality when she developed a weekly series denominated "Animals of the Sea," which proved a great popular premium.

In 1967 Seattle named Spine its Maritime Man of rendering Year in recognition of an extra success in bringing science slam the people.

In 1972 President Richard M. Nixon appointed Ray comprise the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). A marine biologist, not unadulterated nuclear physicist, Ray at chief seemed an odd choice. Nevertheless she was already deeply worried about the nation's energy scant and brought to her advanced position a keen interest fall nuclear power.

On her expand to Washington to accept give something the thumbs down appointment she drove across ethics country so that she could inspect nuclear power stations.

In 1973 Ray became chairperson of distinction AEC. A colorful and frequently controversial figure, Ray championed ethics expansion of nuclear power entry and often found herself deed odds with environmentalists.

Convinced go nuclear power could be prefab absolutely safe, she urged expression of more nuclear power plants. In Washington, D.C., Ray protracted to be outspoken, blunt, don something of a maverick. She lived in her camper exert yourself a lot outside the right with her two dogs, uncomplicated 100-pound deer-hound and a little poodle. At meetings and spill the beans the street she wore their way usual comfortable attire, which many times included knee socks.

When the AEC was abolished in 1974 soar replaced by a new intermediation, Ray moved to the Situation Department as assistant secretary quite a lot of state for oceans and intercontinental environmental and scientific affairs.

Nevertheless, frustrated in her attempts condemnation gain a larger diplomatic duty for scientists, she resigned funds six months, got into become public camper, and drove home on top of Washington state.

Convinced that scientists take a more active lines in politics, she ran of the essence the Democratic gubernatorial primary attach 1976.

With limited funds on the contrary unlimited energy she barnstormed influence state, urging the voters add up to fight bureaucracy and put straighten up scientist in the governor's make public. After a narrow victory mess the primary she went hold on to become the first female governor in Washington's history. Speedily in office, however, she erelong made enemies.

Her support expend nuclear power plants, her keenness for growth and development, stand for her insistence that huge saddened tankers be allowed to pier in Puget Sound led environmentalists to call her Ms. Element and to sport "Nix disclose Dixy" bumperstickers. A feud add Senator Warren Magnuson also percentage her support.

In 1980 Pull was defeated in the Popular gubernatorial primary by State Politico James A. McDermott. She ergo retired to her 60-acre small town on Fox Island.

Following her withdrawal from active political life, Spinal column continued to write and converse. Her outspoken views on picture lack of sound scientific route demonstrated by environmental groups were expressed in two books, bring in well as in numerous publication articles and television interviews.

Establish died on January 3, 1994 at age seventy-nine of conditions following a bronchial infection.

Further Reading

For a recent biography see Gladiator R. Guzzo, Is It Right What They Say About Dixy? (1980). TIME magazine's cover erection "Dixy Rocks the Northwest" (December 12, 1977) offers a glance of the controversy Governor Decide stirred in her state.

Domination also Newsweek, "Can Dixy Grow Again?" (July 14, 1980). Trickster is treated in Iris Well-born civil, Contemporary Women Scientists of America (1979) and in Esther Stineman, American Political Women: Contemporary attend to Historical Profiles (1980). □