Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.

June - August 2015

Location:  Kerr Administration Building, Oregon State University.

Ed Ray (b. 1944), the fourteenth President of Oregon State University, has overseen both historic growth on campus and a major recalibration of university ambitions. Trained as an economist, Ray spent thirty-three years at Ohio State University, where he served as chair of the Economics department before moving into central administration, first as Chief Information Officer and later as Provost. Ray came to OSU in 2003 and set in motion a strategic planning process that realigned university structures and goals. He also launched OSU's first comprehensive capital campaign, The Campaign for OSU, which raised $1.142 billion and resulted in a busy period of campus construction as well as the endowment of seventy-nine faculty positions and the creation of over 600 scholarship and fellowship funds. Over four interviews, Ray reflects on his upbringing and education; discusses his roots as a scholar and an administrator; and shares his perspective on a wide array of initiatives that have moved forward during his tenure as OSU President.