Dixy Lee Ray

Dixy Lee Ray ( born September 3, 1914 in Tacoma, Washington; † January 2, 1994 on Fox Iceland, Washington) was an American politician (Democratic Party) and 1977-1981 Governor of the State of Washington.

Early years

Dixy Ray was born under the name Marguerite Ray. At the age of twelve, she had to change their name. She attended the Tacoma Stadium High School and then continued her education in California continues. At Mills College in Oakland, she studied until 1945 marine biology. After she finished her education at the prestigious Stanford University. Your studies in California was funded by her work as a teacher in regular schools. This function she practiced from 1939-1942.

Academic career and political ascent

Since 1945, Ray was academically active as a university professor. From 1945 to 1976 she held a chair of zoology at the University of Washington. Between 1960 and 1963 she was also a consultant to the National Science Foundation ( National Science Foundation ) for the field of marine biology. Between 1963 and 1972 she headed the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.

In addition to her academic career Ray was also politically active. She was a proponent of nuclear energy and was appointed for this reason in 1972 by President Richard Nixon in the U.S. Atomic Energy Agency, whose chairman, she was 1973-1975. Where she helped set up their own security departments to make nuclear energy safer. Between January and July 1975, she served as the first Secretary of State for Marine, Environment and Science Affairs ( Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs ), U.S. Department of State.

Governor of Washington

In 1976, Dixy Ray was elected governor of Washington. On January 12, 1977, she was introduced as the first woman to hold this office. You stood up for a completely free primary school in Washington and promoted to trade and the economy. During her tenure, she had to struggle with a severe drought. At times, had to be streamlines water and energy. According to their attitude to nuclear energy they promoted the construction of nuclear power plants. In her tenure, the explosion of Mount St. Helens falls in 1980. Through its prudent precautions before the eruption of the volcano many lives could be saved. Ray was internationally well regarded in its time. In 1978 she was awarded the Peace Prize to the United Nations.

On the other hand Dixy Ray had many opponents in their own state. Especially the followers of their own party were deterred from their sometimes very conservative views. Your support for the controversial nuclear power and for the large oil tankers that constantly drove past on the coast of the country, made her even more unpopular in liberal circles. Addition, there was an economic crisis that led to a budget deficit of over a billion dollars at the end of their term of office. All this led in 1980 to their defeat in the primaries for the gubernatorial election against their factional rivals Jim McDermott. This was defeated in the election for governor Republican John Spellman.

After leaving the governorship to Dixy Ray withdrew into retirement. She has never married and died in 1994.