Guide to the Joseph George Ray papers, 1919-2023

(bulk 1920-2000)


Special Collections, James P. Adams Library.
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu

Published in 2024

Collection Overview

Title: Joseph George Ray papers
Date range: 1919-2023, (bulk 1920-2000)
Creator: Ray, Joseph George
Extent: 2 cubic feet
Abstract: The Joseph George Ray collection contains original documents, poems, letters, newspaper articles, pamphlets, awards, objects, and photographs detailing the life and WWII military service of a Portuguese American who resided in West Warwick, RI.
Language of materials: English; Portuguese
Repository: Special Collections, James P. Adams Library.
Collection number: MSS-0132

Scope & content

The collection contains Joseph George Ray’s original documents, certificates, photographs from his WWII service, poems, stories, letters, newspaper articles, religious souvenirs, information and pamphlets on the lace trade in Rhode Island, and correspondence.

Many of the records in this collection were organized by his daughter, Marie Ray Fraley, in preparation for the publication of her book, “My Buffalo Nickel.”

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Topics Geographical Names Document Types

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged into the following series and subseries:

  • Subseries 1a: WWII materials; 1919-2022
  • Subseries 1b: Notebook and notes; undated
  • Subseries 1c: Leavers Lace samples; circa 1965
  • Subseries 1d: Scrapbook; 1978-1999
  • Subseries 1e: Correspondence, poems, stories, handwriting samples, and other papers; 1941-2011; bulk 1991-1997
  • Subseries 1f: Vintage Valley Views Calendars; 1988-1996
  • Series 2: Materials compiled by Marie Ray Fraley; 1921-2022
  • Subseries 2a: Early life; 1921-1996
  • Subseries 2b: Military years; 1995
  • Subseries 2c: Family; 1947-2020
  • Subseries 2d: Lace trade; 1949-2022
  • Subseries 2e: Politics and community service; 1970-1997
  • Subseries 2f: Musings; 1994-2010

Biographical/Historical Note

Joseph George Ray was born on January 29, 1924, in West Warwick, RI. He was the third child of Frank and Mary Ray, both of whom immigrated to the US from the island of São Miguel in the Azores between 1890-1900. Ray married Mary Lillian Furtado on June 28, 1947, at Saint Anthony’s Church in West Warwick. The couple had one daughter, Marie, born September 3, 1950. Ray served in the US army during WWII from March 1943 to October 1945. He was assigned as an automotive mechanic while training in the 623rd Light Equipment Company in Mississippi before traveling to Liverpool, England and crossing the English Channel into Normandy on Omaha Beach. During his duty, Ray participated in at least 41 motor marches across Europe. He was honorably discharged in 1945 as a Sergeant and awarded the Good Conduct Medal and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Campaign Ribbon. Upon returning home to West Warwick, Ray began work at the Valley Lace Company as a lace weaver. He devoted a great deal of time in promoting the lace industry in RI as part of the Project Leavers Lace Initiative and by gaining the support of Governor Chafee in proclaiming May 1-6, 1966 as Rhode Island Leavers Lace Week. Ray retired at age 60 and took to woodcarving for some time until the onset of Parkinson’s Disease made this work too difficult. Ray wrote numerous poems about his life and loved ones and made significant contributions to articles written by Amby Smith for the Kent Daily Times. Many of his poems were featured in the newsletter run by the Villa at St. Antoines, the assisted living facility where he spent his later years. Joseph George Ray passed away on February 25th, 2012.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: The collection is open for research.
Use of the materials: Rhode Island College Special Collections holds copyright to materials in this collection created by Joseph George Ray. The collection contains materials not created by Ray, which may be under copyright restrictions. Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights to all materials in this collection. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Alternate form: Materials in this collection have not been digitized.
Preferred citation: Joseph George Ray papers, MSS-0132, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College.
Contact information: Special Collections, James P. Adams Library.
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The collection was donated by Marie Fraley in 2023 and a deed of gift was signed by Fraley at that time.
Processing information: The collection was arranged and described by Special Collections intern Ellen Cummings in 2024, under the supervision of Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Veronica L. Denison. 
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Ellen Cummings.
Encoding: This finding aid was encoded by Veronica L. Denison, 2024.
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Separated material: The following books have been separated from the collection and added to the Special Collections Rare Books Collection: "Loom & Spindle or Life Among the Early Mill Girls" by Harriet H. Robinson; "Killroy was Here: the Best American Humor from World War II" by Charles Osgood; "Images of America: Pawtuxet Valley" by Jeffrey Marc Kos (contains post-it notes placed by Marie Ray Fraley); "My Buffalo Nickel and Other Stories from a Portuguese American Life: the Life and Writings of Joseph George Ray" by Marie Ray Fraley
Location/Existence of copies: Materials in this collection have not been digitized.
Other information:
    Works used in preparation of inventory: Biographical information was taken from materials in the collection.  

Inventory

Series 1. Joseph George Ray personal papers, 1919-2022
1.6 cubic feet

This series includes Ray’s enlistment papers, religious souvenirs, photographs of Ray and other soldiers during wartime, Ray’s personal scrapbook, and a shadow box of military awards and items placed by Marie Fraley.

Series 1. Subseries 1a. WWII materials, 1919-2022
0.65 cubic feet

This subseries contains enlistment papers, religious souvenirs, photographs, and a shadow box pertaining to Ray’s WWII service. A majority of the items in this subseries were originally organized in a binder by Marie Ray Fraley, Ray’s daughter. Items in the shadow box were placed there by Fraley, and contain Ray’s dog tags, campaign ribbons, lapel pins, patches, and a photograph.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Autobiographical information; Original service photograph of Joseph George Ray
 circa 1942-1995
Box 1, Folder 2 Honorable Discharge Certificate, Service Certificate, Separation Qualification Record, application for Servicemen’s Readjustment Allowance, Certificate of Eligibility and Entitlement, National Service Life Insurance Certificate
 1943-1946
Box 1, Folder 3 The History of 623rd Engineer Light Equipment Company WWII [xerox copy]
 1945
Box 1, Folder 4 Furlough ticket, photograph of Ray with two unnamed soldiers, service ID card, Selective Service System Notice of Classification
 1944-1950
Box 1, Folder 5 Commentary on war times: “a Time when Raven Sing,” Kent Times poem “Introspective of Holocaust,” autobiography of time in the Army, Battle of the Atlantic xerox map of route
 1939-1945
Box 1, Folder 6 Religious souvenirs: My Military Missal/Father Stedman book pocket edition and wax heart souvenir of confirmation at St. Gabriel’s convent
 1942-1944
Box 1, Folder 7 Photographs: Camp Shelby, NY; before war, Paris, Austria, Remains of Hitler’s residence
 1943-1951
Box 1, Folder 8 General Harry Taylor troopship record, 623rd Engineer’s Association INC invitation in Boston, hotel brochure, army song book, Ode to Soldier John Sthrom [Strohm], photograph of Ray and Strohm 1945, Social Security administration request for Strohm
 1945-1993
Box 1, Folder 9 Currency collection: British coins 1919-1944; Third Reich membership pen; Third Reich coins 1937-1941; Luxembourg bills 1943-1944; Russian bill 1938
 1919-1944
Box 6 Military display shadow box with legend. Display contains military photo, WWII European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, dog tags, campaign ribbons, lapel pins, patches
 1943-2020

Series 1. Subseries 1b. Notebook and notes, undated
0.01 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 10 Notebook of facts and definitions
 undated

Series 1. Subseries 1c. Leavers Lace samples, circa 1965
0.2 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 4 Two samples of leavers lace
 circa 1966

Series 1. Subseries 1d. Scrapbook, 1978-1999
0.4 cubic feet

Oversized scrapbook containing tribute for contributions concerning Portuguese heritage in West Warwick, RI, Amby Smith newspaper articles about Francis Carley, Valley Lace, and the Hindenburg disaster, Ralph the Barber; Hurricane story; Hormidas “Meddy” Payette tribute; Photograph of Alfred Rey 1978 at Frontier Manufacturing Inc; Hindenburg recollection article; Sketch of the Ledge; Poetry Corner poems; Letters to the editor

Container Description Date
Box 5, Item 1 Oversized scrapbook containing tribute for contributions concerning Portuguese heritage in West Warwick, RI, Amby Smith newspaper articles about Francis Carley, Valley Lace, and the Hindenburg disaster, Ralph the Barber; Hurricane story; Hormidas “Meddy” Payette tribute; Photograph of Alfred Rey 1978 at Frontier Manufacturing Inc; Hindenburg recollection article; Sketch of the Ledge; Poetry Corner poems; Letters to the editor
 1978-1999

Series 1. Subseries 1e. Correspondence, poems, stories, handwriting samples, and other papers, 1941-2011 (bulk 1991-1997)
0.24 cubic feet

This subseries contains letters to politicians, contributions to newspaper articles, handwriting samples, letters to Marie Fraley and her husband Dave Fraley, poems, and notes.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 11 Correspondence to Rush Limbaugh, Sen. John Chafee, Warren Rudman & Times Magazine [Note: Letter to Chafee is misdated as 1944 instead of 1994]
 1994
Box 1, Folder 12 Kent County Daily Times article on Sgt. George Luz of West Warwick by Amby Smith, “Silent Brave Men of the Valley” story by Ray, copies of pages from “Band of Brothers” book by Stephen Ambrose, notes on Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, envelope from Sgt. George Luz
 1996
Box 1, Folder 13 Ice flow story and newspaper articles
 1997
Box 1, Folder 14 ’38 hurricane story from Ray’s autobiography, local newspaper articles on hurricanes
 1997
Box 1, Folder 15 Poem, letters to Amby Smith regarding Mr. Kelly and Frank Gibney, article on Gibney
 1997
Box 1, Folder 16 Letter to Amby Smith regarding Joe King, article on King by Amby Smith
 1995
Box 1, Folder 17 Article on Portuguese parade honoring Sgt. George Luz, letter of thanks to George Luz
 1997-2011
Box 1, Folder 18 Story on Hormisdas “Meddy” Payette, photograph copies of Meddy and family and 1942 plane crash, photo negatives, letter from Donat Payette, newspaper article on Meddy by Amby Smith
 1997
Box 1, Folder 19 Letter to Amby Smith regarding Francis Carley, letter from Francis Carley, photographs of Carley with wife Lois, photograph of Carley and baseball team at Roger Williams Park 1941, newspaper article on Carley by Amby Smith
 1941-1996
Box 1, Folder 20 Handwriting samples pre-Parkinson’s disease
 1984-1992
Box 1, Folder 21 Letters to Marie Fraley and Dave Fraley, poems, articles on personal interests
 1995-2002
Box 1, Folder 22 Poems, letters, handwriting samples, notes
 1995-2000
Box 1, Folder 23 Letters to Marie Fraley, biography of Joseph’s father Frank, Face on the Barroom Floor story, letter of thanks from Governor John Chafee about Project Leavers Lace, cards to Marie, poems, news articles, story about Ralph Caldamone
 1994-1999
Box 1, Folder 24 Collection of newspaper articles written by Brian Dickinson, former columnist at the Providence Journal
 1995-1999
Box 1, Folder 25 Newspaper article clippings on a variety of topics including local politics, finance, tinnitus, Wendy Marech articles from the Column
 1995-1997

Series 1. Subseries 1f. Vintage Valley Views Calendars, 1988-1996
0.05 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 5, Folder 2 Vintage Valley Views Calendars
 1988-1997

Series 1. Subseries 1g. Saint Anthony’s Parish and choir reunion programs, 1942-1961
0.05 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 1 Programs from Saint Anthony’s Parish in West Warwick
 1942-1962

Series 2. Materials compiled by Marie Ray Fraley, 1921-2022
0.4 cubic feet

Materials compiled in a binder in preparation for the publication of her book, “My Buffalo Nickel.” Materials include poetry, original accounts, photographs, artwork, information on the lace mill where Ray worked, and Leavers Lace samples. The series is organized based on groupings in the original binder created by Fraley.

Series 2. Subseries 2a. Early life, 1921-1996
0.05 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 2 Birth info, original birth certificate and card, certificate of baptism, First Holy Communion certificates, 9th grade certificate, early childhood memories written by Ray, original sketches, poems including My Buffalo Nickel, My Mother’s Daughter, copy of mother and father’s eulogy, Mary Angel Farias (Ferris) and father Frank Joseph Ray w/ photographs, Hindenburg eyewitness account, watercolor painting, funeral information for sister and brother, school memories, and teacher appreciation letters
 1921-1996

Series 2. Subseries 2b. Military years, 1995
0.05 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 3 “A Soldier’s Story,” copy of Honorable Discharge certificate
 1995

Series 2. Subseries 2c. Family, 1947-2020
0.05 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 4 Certificate of marriage between Ray and Furtado, biographical notes on Mary Lillian Ray Furtado, poems, stories, and memories written by Ray, copy of eulogy for Truth Fraley, Red Sox ticket
 1947-2020

Series 2. Subseries 2d. Lace trade, 1949-2022
0.03 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 1 Newspaper articles on Rhode Island lace business, sketch of rinse bath and warp truck by Ray, Constitution of the Amalgamated Lace, Operatives of America pamphlet, notes on lace trade, Lace Aristocrat of Textile Fabrics pamphlet, Ciba Review pamphlet, Project Levers Lace document for Governor Chafee, original photograph of Ray and Chafee at Leavers Lace Ceremony, the American Lace Worker Pamphlets, RI magazine of Business Finance Industry article on Concordia manufacturing
 1949-2022

Series 2. Subseries 2e. Politics and community service, 1970-1997
0.08 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 2 Letter to Amby Smith on Our Lady of Peace Retreat, Holy Name Society blue ribbon and lapel pin [Pin and ribbon have been moved to box 5], newspaper article on the Holy Name Society of St. Anthony’s Parish, Providence Journal Evening Bulletin candidate form for school committee, Documents on run for tax assessor and “vote for Joseph Ray for tax assessor” cards, newspaper articles on fire department and arson in West Warwick
 1970-1997
Box 5, Folder 3 Holy Name Society blue ribbon and lapel pin
 undated

Series 2. Subseries 2f. Musings, 1994-2010
0.14 cubic feet

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 3 Poems, correspondence to Norman DeBaene, letters and commentary, newspaper article on Joe King, Assisted Living View from the Hill brochure, the Villa newsletters 2005, 2006, 2008 with his poems, letters from Tara Finlay (waitress employed at the Villa), typed vocabulary
 1944-2008
Box 3, Folder 4 “Reflections on the Infinite Goodness of God,” by Frank Wey
 2010
Box 3, Folder 5 Health, ravages of Parkinson’s Disease on handwriting
 circa 2008
Box 3, Folder 6 Poem to be read at passing, letters, favorite poem, “Ode to Those Born Before 1945,” newspaper article on Portuguese immigrants in the Providence Journal
 1996-2009