J. Frank Raley Jr.

J. Frank Raley Jr.
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the St. Mary's County district
In office
1963–1966[1][2]
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the St. Mary's County district
In office
1955–1959[1]
Personal details
Born
John Frank Raley, Jr.

(1926-09-13)September 13, 1926[1][2]
Park Hall Estates, Maryland[3][1]
DiedAugust 21, 2012(2012-08-21) (aged 85)[4]
St. Mary's City, Maryland[3][4]
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materGeorgetown University[1][2]
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army[1][3]
Years of service1945–1946[1]

John Frank Raley Jr. (September 13, 1926 – August 21, 2012) was a Maryland politician[1][5] and an advocate for education,[4][3] economic development[4][3][5] and protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.[4][3]

He was a Democrat, a State Senator,[4] and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates[1][4][3] and is widely credited for modernizing St. Mary's County's badly outdated infrastructure[5] (schools, roads, bridges, telecommunications and electric services),[5] thus paving the way for a forty-year period of economic growth and development.[5]

He is also credited with getting the Maryland State Legislature to establish St. Mary's College of Maryland as a four-year liberal arts college[4][3][6][7] and served on its board of trustees for years,[3][2] guiding[3] and advocating for[4] the school's further development.[4][3]

He has been called, by area historians and newspapers, a founder of modern St. Mary's County.[8][4]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series), "J. Frank Raley, Jr.", MSA SC 3520-2738, http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/002700/002738/html/msa02738.html
  2. ^ a b c d "J. Frank Raley, 85, St. Mary’s City", Southern Maryland Newspapers Online, Wednesday, August 22, 2012, http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120822/misc/708229670/-1/j-frank-raley-85-st-mary-s-city&template=southernmaryland Archived April 4, 2014, at archive.today
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hoyer, Steny (August 22, 2012). "St. Mary's College Mourns the Passing of J. Frank Raley LexLeader". The Lexington Park Leader. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Raley remembered as ‘chief architect’ of modern St. Mary’s", The Washington Post, Jason Babcock, August 29, 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/raley-remembered-as-chief-architect-of-modern-st-marys/2012/08/28/a864f886-f090-11e1-ba17-c7bb037a1d5b_story.html
  5. ^ a b c d e "J. Frank Raley, Jr. (1926 - 2012)", The Slackwater Center, St. Mary's College of Maryland, "J. Frank Raley | Slackwater". Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  6. ^ "J. Frank Raley, Jr.: On Higher Education", The Slackwater Center, St. Mary's College of Maryland, "J. Frank Raley | Slackwater". Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  7. ^ "J. Frank Raley, Jr. Passes Away", Leonardtown MD - 8/21/2012, Baynet.com, Dick Myers, "J. Frank Raley, Jr. Passes Away - Southern Maryland News, Charles County, Calvert County and St. Mary's County News". Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  8. ^ "J. Frank Raley, Jr. (1926 - 2012)", The Slackwater Center, St. Mary's College of Maryland, "J. Frank Raley on Education | SlackWater". Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.