Résumé

Draftsman, New York, NY, 1905-1906.

Draftsman, Los Angeles, CA, 1906-1908.

Partner, Higginson and [E. Russell] Ray, Architects, Santa Barbara, CA, 11/1908- . An article in the American Architect, 12/02/1908, stated: "We are advised that Mr. Augustus B. Higginson, formerly with Myron Hunt & Elmer Grey, architects, of Los Angeles, and Mr. E. Russell Ray have formed a partnership for the practice of architecture, and have opened offices at Santa Barbara, Cal." (See "Personals" American Architect, vol. XCIV, no. 1719, 12/02/1908, p. 25.)

Principal, E. Russell Ray, Architect, Santa Barbara, CA, c. 1911, 1914- . The partnership with Augustus Higginson did not last more than two years, as Ray was listed as the architect for the Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara by 09/1910. In 1917, Ray's office was located at 1231 State Street in Santa Barbara. (See Santa Barbara, California, City Directory, 1917, p. 230.)

2nd Lieutenant, Signal Corps, Camp Alfred Vail, NJ, 03/18/1918-12/16/1918. Of his wartime service during World Wars I and II, the National Cyclopaedia of American Biography wrote: " During the First World War he served in the U.S. Army, first with Battery C, 2d Field Artillery, California National Guard; then with Battery C, 144th Field Artillery; the 24th and 40th engineering corps; the 206 Aero Construction Squadron, and was commissioned 2d lieutenant in the Signal Corps. During the Second World War he was associated with the plant
layout department of the Consolidated Aircraft Corp. in San Diego." (See "Edward Russel Ray," National Cyclopedia of American Biography, vol. 40, [New York: James T. White and Company, 1955], p. 172.)

Partner, Ray and Soule, Architects, Santa Barbara, CA, c. 1913-1914; a note in the Southwest Contractor and Manufacturer indicated that Ray and Soule discontinued their partnership on 12/12/1914. Ray moved his solo practice to a new office at 1231 State Street, while Winsor Soule remained in the Ray and Soule former location at 1206 State Street.

Principal, Russel Ray, Architect, Santa Barbara, CA, c. 1915-1935.

Principal, Russel Ray, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1936-1940.

Principal, Russel Ray, Architect, Pasadena, CA, c. 1942.

Principal, Russel Ray, Architect, Lemon Grove, CA, c. 1948.

College

A.B., Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, 1901. Lake Forest College was a Presbyterian school, perhaps mandated by his Presbyterian minister father. At Lake Forest, Ray was a member of Phi Pi Epsilon Fraternity. (See "Phi Pi Epsilon," Lake Forest College Yearbook, 1901, [Lake Forest, IL: Lake Forest College, 1901], n.p.) He was also the accompanist for the Lake Forest College Glee Club. (See "Glee, Mandolin and Banjo Clubs," Lake Forest College Yearbook, 1901, [Lake Forest, IL: Lake Forest College, 1901], n.p.)

S.B., Architecture, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1904. (See Harvard University Catalogue, 1905-1906, [Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 1905]. p. 251.)

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography stated in its entry on Ray: "Russel Ray was graduated B. A. at Lake Forest
College in 1901, attended Northwestern University, Columbia University, and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, and was graduated B.Sc. at Harvard University in 1905." (See "Edward Russel Ray," National Cyclopedia of American Biography, vol. 40, [New York: James T. White and Company, 1955], p. 172.)

Relocation

Edward Russel Ray, born in Ocean Grove, NJ, lived in Elizabeth, NJ, with his family in 1880. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey; Roll: 800; Page: 162A; Enumeration District: 169, accessed 02/06/2019.) His father, Edward, a Presbyterian minister, attended the Union Theological Seminary and the Seminary in Rochester, NY, and graduated from the Auburn Theological Seminary in 1873. He was ordained on 06/19/1874 by the Presbytery of Utica, and became a pastor at the Presbyterian Church there. He worked in Utica from 1874 until 1876, when he was transferred to the pastorate of the 3rd Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, NJ, where he preached until 06/1881. He then moved to the 1st Presbyterian church of Hyde Park, IL, a wealthy neighborhood of Chicago. This means that Russel resided with his family in both NJ and IL, during the 1870s and 1880s. (See "Ray, Rev. Edward Chittenden," in the Encyclopaedia of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, [Philadelphia: Presbyterian Encyclopaedia Publishing Company, 1884], p. 740.)

The 1900 US Census listed Ray as living with his parents, two siblings and paternal grandfather, Edward Hurlburt Chittenden Ray, (born 02/1820 in India, who became a naturalized citizen, entering the US in 1832), at 1726 Asbury Avenue in Evanston, IL. The household also included a servant, Mary Frick (born 08/1858 in NY). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Evanston Ward 2, Cook, Illinois; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 1156; FHL microfilm: 1240292, accessed 02/08/2019.)

He first attended Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL, where he received an A.B. degree in 1901, and then went on to Harvard University, in Cambridge, MA, graduating in 1904. Folowing graduation from Harvard, Ray resettled in New York, NY, where he worked during 1905 and 1906.

Ray moved West to Los Angeles in 1906, where he worked as a draftsman in architectural offices.

The 1910 US Census listed Ray as living with four other men at 1325 Chapala Street in Santa Barbara, CA. Under his occupation, the census form indicated that Ray had his "own income." The other men living here included Alfred Edwards, (born c. 1867 in CA), a bank cashier, James M. Warren (born c. 1873 in MO), also a cashier, and Arvide Patterson (born c. 1870 possibly in MA), a newspaper editor. In addition, these four men employed a Chinese servant, Gin Baw, (born c. 1868 in China). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Santa Barbara Ward 6, Santa Barbara, California; Roll: T624_104; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0173; FHL microfilm: 1374117, accessed 02/06/2019.)

The architect resided at 24 East Mission Street in Santa Barbara in 1911 and continued to live here in 1917. (See Santa Barbara, California, City Directory, 1917, p. 230.)

The 1930 US Census indicated that Ray lived with his mother Martha (aged 75) and brother Prescott (aged 50) in a residence at 432 East Padre Street in Santa Barbara.

On 04/26/1942, Ray, then 63 years old, lived on his own at 1140 South Pasadena Avenue in Pasadena, CA.

Because of his military service, Ray was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA.

Parents

His father. Edward Chittenden Ray, (born 10/12/1849 in Rochester, NY-d. 03/15/1923 in Santa Barbara, CA.), worked as a Presbyterian minister. His mother was Martha Washington Prescott (born 09/09/1852 in NJ-d. 03/18/1947 in Santa Barbara, CA). Edward and Martha married on 10/13/1874 in Manhattan, New York, NY, and moved from New York to New Jersey about 1877. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 02/06/2019.)

Ray's parents had six children, only three of whom survived in 1900, according to the US Census of that year. He had a sister, Martha Prescott Ray (born c. 1876 in NY), a brother, Prescott Hoyt Ray (born 01/22/1880 in NJ-d. 07/21/1971 in Santa Barbara, CA) and a sister Ruth Ray (born

Prescott worked as a horticulturalist for the City of Santa Barbara, according to the 1930 US Census. Martha Prescott Ray continued to live with Prescott and his wife, Hilda, in 1940, at 432 East Padre Street in 1940. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California; Roll: m-t0627-00333; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 42-30, accessed 02/06/2019.)

Spouse

He married Mary Esther Jackson (born in IL), on 09/23/1935 in San Gabriel, CA.

In 1964, she lived as a widowed retiree at 7931 1/2 Palm Street in Lemon Grove, CA. (See San Diego, California, Suburban Directory, 1964, p. 725.)

Children

He and Mary had no children.

Biographical Notes

A previous PCAD entry on Russel Ray had incorrect information on the architect. Confusion was made between an E. Russell Ray living in Los Angeles born in TN, c. 1872, and Edward Russel Ray, the architect. (Previous incorrect dates listed were born 1871-11-27 and died 1946-01-28.)The correct information has been replaced as to date of birth and birthplace. Additionally, Ray's middle name was misspelled as "Russell" instead of "Russel" and his first name was written as "Edgar" rather than "Edward." He stopped calling himself Edwards before 1916.

His World War II draft registration card listed Ray as standing 5-feet, 8-1/2-inches tall, and weighing 160 pounds. He had brown eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion according to the military document. As per this document, he had a crescent scar on the right side of his lower lip. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (4th Registration) for the State of California; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147, accessed 02/06/2019.)

Russel Ray sailed from San Francisco on 10/07/1916 aboard the S.S. China or 11/11/1916 to China aboard the S.S. Tenyo Maru. He had a work itinerary to visit Japan and China. The name of Manila was crossed out on the application form. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Volume #: Volume 14: Emergency Passport Applications: China, accessed 02/06/2019.)

Member, 1st Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, c. 1908-1935.

SSN: 579265618.

• Ocean Grove, NJ (Architect's Birth)
  Ocean Grove, NJ 07756

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