Dixy Lee Ray
A blunt marine biologist and atomic energy advocate who shattered Washington's political mold as its first female governor, steering the state through a volcanic catastrophe.
1914–1994 (age 80)·American politician·Birthday: September 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Dixy Lee Ray was a force of nature in Pacific Northwest politics, a scientist who entered the public arena with no patience for pretense. Before politics, she built a respected career as a marine biologist and professor at the University of Washington, later leading the Pacific Science Center and serving as an assistant secretary of state. Her 1976 election as Washington's governor was groundbreaking, but Ray defied easy categorization. She was a Democrat with conservative fiscal views, an environmental scientist who championed nuclear power, and a governor who lived with her dogs on a farmstead in a motorhome. Her single term was defined by the colossal eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, where her scientific background and decisive crisis management were critically tested. Though her unorthodox style and policies made her a polarizing figure, leading to a primary defeat, Ray's legacy is that of an intellectual powerhouse who refused to be anything but herself in the political sphere.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Dixy was born in 1914, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dixy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1914
Dixy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1914Born
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Started school
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Became a teenager
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Could drive
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1932Could vote
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Turned 21
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1944Turned 30
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 40
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 50
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 60
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 70
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 80
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981, becoming the state's first woman to hold the office.
- Led the state's response to the catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
- Served as the chair of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1973 to 1975.
- Was a professor of zoology at the University of Washington and directed the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.
Did You Know?
She lived in a mobile home on her farm on Fox Island throughout her governorship, commuting by state ferry.
She kept a variety of farm animals, including donkeys and dogs, at the governor's mansion.
The name 'Dixy Lee' was a childhood nickname; her birth name was Margaret.
She was a licensed boat captain and took scientists on research cruises in Puget Sound.
““The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.””
