1933
Born to Lloyd Trevor and Ruth Virginia (Daggy) Ray in New Castle, ID.
1953
Marries Donna Ruth (Johnson) Ray on September 5.
1955
Earns a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Harvard College.
1958
Earns a Master of Arts from Harvard University.
1959
Teaches as an assistant professor and is a curator at the University of Florida in Gainesville until 1963.
1962
Obtains a Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard University.
1963
Is an assistant curator for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. until 1994.
1976
Serves as chair of the Committee of Scientific Advisors within the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission until 1978.
1989
Serves on the board of trustees for the Virginia Museum of Natural History until 1997.
1993
Receives the Gregory Award from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
1994
Is a curator for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. until 2015.
2015
Resigns from his role and is named curator emeritus.
2021
Maintains membership with the American Society of Mammalogists and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.