JOSEPH RAY1
By JERRY DENNIS
Joseph Ray was born in Ohio County,
Virginia, now Ohio
County, West Virginia, on November 25,
1807. His ancestry was
of English origin and can be traced back
to John Ray, the natur-
alist. William Ray, his father, was born
in Ireland in 1782 and
had settled with his parents near West
Liberty, Virginia, in 1789.
On February 25, 1807, William married
Margaret Graham, a
native of Westchester County,
Pennsylvania. They were among
the early pioneers of the Upper Ohio
Valley. The original Ray
farm consisted of one hundred and sixty
acres located near the
source of Battle Run and about two miles
from the old National
Road. The double log house in which the
Rays lived, set about
five miles south of West Liberty,
remained standing until 1916
when it was razed. William and Margaret
Ray are buried in the
Dement Cemetery, near the old home, and
their graves are marked
by stone slabs, on one of which is the
inscription: "William Ray,
born June 17, 1782, died May 24,
1857."
Joseph Ray was a self-educated man,
receiving his early
training in the school of poverty. He
attended the rural schools.
in the neighborhood of his home and
later went to West Alex-
andria Academy at West Alexandria,
Pennsylvania. When quite
young he removed to Cincinnati, where he
began teaching school
at the age of sixteen years. With
savings from his meager salary
as a teacher he was enabled to enter the
Ohio University at
Athens, but because of insufficient
funds was compelled to suspend
1 Since no biographies of Joseph Ray, eminent
mathematician and educator of the
nineteenth century, are to be found in
the Encyclopedia Americana; The New Inter-
national Encyclopaedia; The
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 14th
edition; the Dictionary of
American Biography; Appleton's
Cyclopaedia of American Biography; and
only a brief
note is given in the National
Cyclopcedia of American Biography (New York, 1898-), I,
849, this article is designed to meet a
special need. Information for it was secured
through personal investigation by the
author; from the newspapers mentioned; and
from The Biographical Cyclopadia and
Portrait Gallery (Cincinnati, 1883-1895), III,
611.2.--Editor's note.
(42)
JOSEPH RAY 43
his studies before graduating. Returning
to Cincinnati he again
engaged in teaching, and later taking up
the study of medicine,
entered Ohio Medical College, from which
he graduated in 1829,
at the age of twenty-two, receiving the
degree of M. D. His in-
terest in medicine was probably
inherited from his father who
was much interested in its study and
believed in doctoring with
herbs.
Joseph while very young manifested an
active and precocious
mind and was especially devoted to the
study of mathematics. He
and his brother Moses, who was also
interested in the subject,
spent much time in working out the most
difficult problems. Resi-
dents of the neighborhood of the old
home in West Virginia used
to relate many stories concerning the
brothers. Moses was an odd
genius, a master of several trades. He
was a good blacksmith and
a fine mason, his acquaintances calling
him a "Jack of all Trades."
He was especially strong in mathematics,
and the residents of the
neighborhood frequently remarked that
"Mose" was a better
mathematician than "Joe." It
is said that when Professor Joseph
Ray completed his Arithmetic: Part
Third he showed it to "Mose"
and asked him what he thought of it.
"Mose" replied that it
would be all right for children but not
for adults.
After graduation from the Ohio Medical
College Dr. Joseph
Ray began the practice of medicine in
Cincinnati, where his ability
as a physician was soon recognized. He
was rapidly acquiring a
profitable practice, when upon the
organization of Woodward
High School in 1831, he was offered the
position of teacher of
arithmetic. Following the inclination of
his mind, he accepted the
offer, thus passing a turning point in
his career. Three years later
(in 1834) when the school received its
charter as Woodward
College, Ray became its professor of
mathematics. This position
he held until 1851 when the college
surrendered its charter, be-
coming under the new organization
Woodward High School once
more. Ray was made the principal of the
school and so continued
until his death on April 16, 1855, in
his forty-eighth year. Wood-
ward College was a prominent educational
institution of the day
and had among its teachers some of the
most noted educators of
the country. Among them was William
Holmes McGuffey.
44
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Ray, Samuel Lewis, McGuffey and others
were chief di-
rectors in the organization known as the
College of Teachers, an
association organized in 1831. This
association contributed largely
to the advancement of education in Ohio
and in the West gen-
erally. It early promoted the
development of what later became
known as the Teachers Institute. It
advocated the grading of
schools, the supervision of schools, and
the establishment of the
office of State Superintendent of
Instruction. The association
continued its work until 1845 when it
was disbanded, largely be-
cause it had accomplished the purposes
for which it was organized.
Ray wrote for many of the school and
scientific journals of
his time, and his services as a
lecturer, especially on educational
subjects, were continually in demand.
While mathematics was
his chief field of work, his ultimate
object as he frequently ex-
pressed it, was to develop high moral
character in his pupils. It
is related of him that often in the
conduct of a lesson he would
call attention to some fault of a pupil
and tell a story to illustrate
that the world needs men and women of
high moral character as
well as scholars. He was accustomed to
taking part in the sports
of his students on the playground,
proving that he was interested
in them beyond their work in the
schoolroom. As a teacher it is
said that he never became angry, though
frequently showing a
righteous indignation at the misconduct
of his pupils, in such a
way as to teach a lasting and helpful
lesson. He maintained a per-
sonal interest in all who came under his
instruction, not only while
in school but also in after life, using
his best efforts to place them
in positions suited to their tastes and
abilities. He was a member
of the board of school examiners and a
member of the board of
directors of the Cincinnati House of
Refuge. Although his par-
ents had been members of the Society of
Friends, in which faith
he was reared, he became a devoted
member of the Disciple
Church and for a time was an elder. His
great and unceasing
efforts to aid the sick and needy during
the cholera epidemic of
1849 seriously affected his health which
he never recovered, thus
bringing on his untimely death.
It was while connected with Woodward
College and Wood-
ward High School that Ray wrote the
text-books on arithmetic
JOSEPH RAY 45
and algebra that made him famous
throughout the country. Ray's
Arithmetics were written during a period when the time given
to a study of the subject was much
greater than that given now.
It is doubtful if the change has been
for the better. It was Ray,
more than any other person, who created
the great interest in
mathematics which existed during his
lifetime and which con-
tinued for many years after his death.
He revolutionized the
teaching of the subject in the schools,
making the study interesting
to the student, successfully coping with
much of the antagonism
and distaste which accompanied it prior
to his time. His method
embraced the analysis of every
principle, and the demonstration
of every rule, in order that the mind of
the pupil would be dis-
ciplined and strengthened, either for
the further study of mathe-
matics or the carrying on of any
business in which he might en-
gage. His method of instruction was
"on the principle that the
pupil should thoroughly understand the reason
of every process
he is required to perform--the why and wherefore
of every
operation." First, the principle,
second, the rule, third, the reason
for the rule, and fourth, graduated
exercises. An examination of
his books shows the great number and
variety of subjects treated
by him. He wrote his first volume about
the year 1831. It was
entitled Calculations for the Head, a
small tract on the oral method
of instruction. Then followed his Little
Arithmetic; Arithmetic:
Part First, for Little Learners;
Arithmetic: Part Second; A Com-
prehensive and Complete Treatise on
Practical Arithmetic, from
Elementary Rules up to Geometrical
Progression, &c., which was
first published in 1837. This was
followed by his Algebras. It
will be observed that Ray's career as
author commenced about the
same time as McGuffey's, whose first
book, The First Reader,
was published in 1836.
Ray's Arithmetics, four books, Algebras,
two books, were
embraced and published for many years in
the Eclectic Educa-
tional Series, which included in addition McGuffey's Charts,
Spellers and Readers, and Timotheus Stone Pinneo's Grammars.
These books soon displaced those in use
and became more widely
distributed than any published to that
time, receiving the endorse-
ment of eminent educators, approved and
adopted in schools of
46
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
the New England States, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New York, and, in
fact, in nearly every state of the Union
where liberal attention
was given to public instruction. This
series of text-books was
officially endorsed and recommended by
the state superintendents
of instruction in Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and
Michigan, as well as by the Indiana
State Board of Education, the
Illinois State Board of Education, and
by more than 10,000 school
boards throughout the country.
Like McGuffey's Readers the use
of Ray's Arithmetics and
Algebras survived the life of their author many years. Millions
of boys and girls born a quarter of a
century after Ray's death
studied his Arithmetics and Algebras
in the public schools. The
books were revised from time to time to
make them conform to
the modern methods of teaching and the
newer methods of trans-
acting business, but the same
fundamental principles and methods
laid down by Ray were maintained. The
number of editions
through which his books passed extends
into the thousands. No
other texts in arithmetic or algebra
have ever had such great
popularity. More than 10,000 editions of
Ray's Arithmetic: Part
Third, afterward's Ray's Practical Arithmetic, were
published.
It was Ray's plan to write a series of
books embracing the
whole range of mathematics for which he
had prepared much of
the material. His early death, however,
prevented the consuma-
tion of his plan, occurring as it did
prior to the completion of his
Higher Arithmetic, which was finished and edited by Professor
Charles E. Matthews, a great scholar and
mathematician, and
favorite pupil and colleague of the
author. Matthews wrote of
Ray:
As an able and faithful teacher, his
merits are deeply impressed on
those who have been so fortunate as to
come within reach of his immediate
instructions and example. In every line
of duty he was conspicuous for
unremitting industry, and in all the
relations of life, his first desire was to
be of service to others.
Ray was married to Catherine Gano Burt,
a daughter of
Andrew Burt. Daniel Gano Ray, a son
(born 1833, died 1881)
became a prominent lawyer and took great
interest in public
affairs. On October 24, 1878, occurred
the unveiling of the Wood-
ward Statue at Woodward High School, at
which event Hon.
JOSEPH RAY 47
Stanley Matthews, United States Senator
from Ohio, gave the
oration and Daniel Gano Ray presided as
chairman. Daniel Gano
has a son, Victor, and a grandson, who
are at present engaged in
the practice of medicine in Cincinnati.
At a special meeting of the Cincinnati
Teachers' Association,
held Monday evening, April 16, 1855, the
following preamble and
resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, in the recent decease of Dr.
Joseph Ray, late principal of
the Woodward High School of this city,
the Teachers of Cincinnati recog-
nizing an afflicting dispensation of
Providence, feeling most deeply that they
have sustained the loss of one of the
truest friends and ablest members of
their profession; one who was ever
zealous in promoting their interests,
and elevating the standard of their
vocation, a man of high attainments as
a scholar, of superior abilities as a
teacher, and justly eminent for his
almost incessant labors for many years;
as an instructor, examiner and
author, in advancing the cause of
popular education in Cincinnati and
throughout the West; therefore,
Resolved, That as one tribute of our
respect to his memory, we meet
at the Hall of the Woodward High School,
on Wednesday afternoon, at
1 O'Clock thence proceed in a body to
attend his funeral solemnities.
Resolved, That a copy of these
resolutions signed by the President and
Secretary of this Association, be
transmitted to his family.
Resolved, That the Press of the city be
requested to publish the above
resolutions.
April 16, 1855. JOHN HANCOCK,
Pres. Cin. Teachers Assn.
The following resolutions were adopted
by the Alumni Asso-
ciation of the Woodward High School:
Resolved, that we deeply condole with
the family of the deceased in
their bereavement, yet rejoice to know
that their loss is his eternal gain.
Resolved, That in him we, in common with
the cause of humanity,
lost a friend whom the dangers of life's
battles have ever found unwaver-
ing-that the institution has lost its
greatest benefactor, and society a truly
great man-whose life has been spent as
he wished, in moulding the char-
acter of the youth of the West-and who
still lives, and will ever live in
his works-that in him we have lost a
warm personal friend-one who has
watched over us with a father's care in
the discharge of his responsible
duty, the training of the immortal
mind-one who was to us as the forest
oak is to the vine, which seeks and
finds upon his noble form the lone sup-
porter of an onward and upward career.
Resolved, That as a last tribute to his
memory, we will attend the
funeral in a body.
Resolved, That a copy of these
resolutions be sent to the family of the
deceased, and that copies be offered to
the papers for publication.
T. C. JONES, President. M. A. SLOUGH, Sec'y.
48
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Upon Ray's decease many of the
newspapers and educational
journals of the time published tributes
to his life and memory.
From the Cincinnati Gazette, issue
of Tuesday, April 17, 1855:
The halls of the Woodward School
presented a scene of sadness
yesterday morning. When the death of
their beloved preceptor became
known to the public, it was hardly
possible to continue the exercises, and
the school was suspended. The Union
Board of High Schools met in the
afternoon, and upon the announcement of
Mr. Greene, the President, of
Dr. Ray's death, it was ordered on
motion of Mr. King, that the Woodward
School be dismissed until Thursday, and
that the Hughes School be dis-
missed on Wednesday afternoon to attend
the funeral. Also that Mr. Taft
prepare appropriate resolutions and
report to the Board. The trustees and
pupils of the High Schools will attend
the funeral in a body. By reference
to the School Board Report it will be
seen that the Board adopted resolu-
tions of condolence, and ordered the
closing of all Common Schools on
Wednesday afternoon. The Board will
attend the funeral in a body.
An editorial in the same paper, issue of
April 18, 1855, con-
tains among other things, the following:
Professor Ray has long borne a high and
useful part in the promotion
of science and education in the West.
With a mind quick, and of great
earnestness and power, and indomitable
perseverence, he mastered what he
attempted, and infused his own energy
into others with whom he was con-
nected. His death will awaken sorrow in
the hearts of many now in high
and honorable positions, whose minds
have received their tone and much
of their power from him. If it be the
mark of a great mind to be able to
give form, direction and force to other
minds, and prepare his pupils for
great actions, then was Professor Ray a
great man; and if to have devoted
a lifetime of energy and incessant
labor, all to purposes most useful to his
age and country, denote a good man then
was Professor Ray a good man,
and entitled to be remembered with
affection and regard, by his contem-
poraries, and by those who are to come
after him.
The issue of April 19, 1855, of the
same paper, contains the
following account of the funeral:
At 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon the
funeral procession formed at the
house of the deceased and proceeded by
way of the Woodward High School
where it was joined by the teachers and pupils, about
150 in number, and by
the teachers of the Public Schools of the city about 40
in number to the
Christian Church, corner of Eighth and
Walnut Streets. The pupils of the
Hughes High School, numbering 170, were
already seated there.
The services were opened by a prayer by
the Rev. Mr. Shephardson,
Pres. of the Board of Examiners of which
the deceased was a member. A
funeral discourse without, however, the
formality of a text, was pronounced
by Elder D. S. Burnett. It was brief,
but touchingly appropriate. The
Rev. Dr. Biggs, who was President of
Woodward College while Dr. Ray
was professor of Mathematics in that
institution addressed a few remarks,
which was [sic] listened to with
deepest attention, and then pronounced the
benediction. The remains were then conveyed
to Spring Grove Cemetery,.
attended by a very large number of
carriages.
JOSEPH RAY 49
From the Cincinnati Columbian &
Great West, issue of
April 21, 1855, under the title, "A
Great Man Gone":
The cause of education has met with a
great loss in the death of
Joseph Ray, M.D., one of the professors
in the Woodward High School, a
man whose learning and eminent public
services are widely known, and will
cause his memory long to be revered, and
his name associated with that of
such public benefactors as Samuel Lewis,
and Nathan Guilford.
Dr. Ray has been for more than twenty
years a resident of this city,
and during all that time has been one of
the most prominent educationalists
in this State. He came originally from
Wood [Ohio] County, Virginia,
where his aged father is still living. A
man of learning and fine natural
abilities, he would have done honor to
the medical profession, but after
graduating with honor at the Ohio
Medical College, he devoted his scholar-
ship and his talents to the elevation of
the standard of education in the
great West, and especially in the State
of Ohio. He has long been a mem-
ber of the Board of Examiners, and at
the time of his death in addition to
his duties as President of Woodward High
School, he acted as one of the
Editors of the Ohio Journal of
Education.
The range of the Ray's mathematical
series is shown by an
advertisement of the publishers:
Ray's Primary Arithmetic: Simple Mental
Lessons and Tables. For
Little Learners.
Ray's Arithmetic: Part Second [Afterwards
published under the title
Ray's Intellectual Arithmetic].
Ray's Arithmetic: Part Third [Afterward
published as Ray's Practical
Arithmetic]. A full and practical
treatise on the inductive and analytic
methods of instruction.
Ray's Rudiments of Arithmetic: Combining
mental and practical ex-
ercises. For Beginners [Large
portions of this book were afterwards in-
corporated in Ray's Elementary Arithmetic, with which Ray's
Practical
Arithmetic formed Ray's Two Book
Series in Arithmetic. The Elementary
Arithmetic intended to serve as a
sufficient introduction to Ray's Practical
Arithmetic.]
Ray's Test Examples [Two
editions--with and without answers, con-
taining three thousand practical
problems for slate and blackboard; for drill
exercises and review.]
Ray's Elementary Algebra: a simple,
thorough, and progressive ele-
mentary treatise. For schools and
academies. Copyrighted 1848.
Ray's Higher Algebra: a progressive,
lucid and comprehensive work.
For advanced Students and Colleges.
Copyrighted 1852.
Ray's Plane and Solid Geometry: a
comprehensive work on Plane and
Solid Geometry, with numerous practical
exercises. By Eli T. Tappan,
A.M., Pres. of Kenyon College.
Ray's Geometry and Trigonometry: Plane
and Spherical Trigo-
'nometry, with their applications; also
a complete set of Logarithmic tables,
carefully corrected. By Eli T. Tappan,
A.M., Prof. of Mathematics, Ohio
University.
Ray's Analytic Geometry. By Geo. H.
Howison, A.M., Prof. in Mass.
Institute of Technology. A treatise on
Analytic Geometry, especially applied
to the properties of conics; including
the Modern Methods of Abridged
Notation.
50
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Ray's Elements of Astronomy. By S. H.
Peabody, A.M., Prof. of
Physics and Civil Engineering, Amherst
College. Became Regent of the
Illinois Industrial University, Ph.D.,
LL.D. Copyrighted 1869.
Ray's Differential and Integral
Calculus, by J. G. Clark, A.M., Prof.
in William Jewell College [1868].
Ray's Surveying and Navigation, with a
preliminary Treatise on
Trigonometry and Mensuration, by A.
Schuyler, A.M., Prof. of Applied
Mathematics and Logic in Baldwin
University [1873].
Keys: Ray's Arithmetical Key [to his Intellectual
and Practical
Arithmetics]; Key to Ray's Higher Arithmetic; Key to
Ray's New Ele-
mentary and Higher Algebras.