Description: Personal papers of J.E. Ray, who was credited with being the only union bricklayer in the United States with a doctor's degree. Ray was a member of the Stout faculty for 45 years until his retirement in 1959. He served as professor of industrial education and head of the department of drafting; teaching courses in bricklaying, architectural drawing, machine drafting, freehand drawing and concrete working. Ray was a man of many talents and interests including architectural design, bricklaying, teaching, music, photography, lettering, drawing, and watercolor painting. His papers reflect much of these interests comprising biographical materials, correspondence, course materials, instructional materials developed by Ray, Ray's publications, lettering, photographs, watercolor and oil paintings, and materials developed by Ray's students. The bulk of correspondence is with publishers of his two books; The Art of Bricklaying and Graphic Architectural Drafting; but there is also some correspondence with students and colleagues as well as with William P. Sears of New York University where Ray earned his doctorate. Course materials largely consist of syllabi and in-depth course outlines for bricklaying, freehand drawing, machine drawing, and mechanical drafting. Rays publications focus on bricklaying as a course of study and includes his masters and doctoral theses. Materials developed by Ray's students include a lengthy syllabus and course outline on freehand drawing, renderings of houses, and term papers on various topics in architectural drafting. Among the photographs taken by Ray in this collection of particular interest is a series of photographs on the 1957 Dairy Day Parade in Menomonie and the 1958 Colfax tornando. Ray's architectural drawings form an interesting part of the collection including designs, layouts, and blueprints of his weekend cabin, the Menomonie Band Shell, the Philip Ruehl residence, various interiors, and fireplaces along with other materials. Much of this collection consists of various non-published instructional materials developed and compiled by Ray. These instructional "booklets" cover such diverse subjects as building and house construction, freehand drawing, lettering, and architectural drawing and provide a wealth of information.
