Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904,
pp 619-620 [McCracken]

     JAMES BUCHANAN RAY, a successful attorney-at-law and a
prominent citizen of Paducah, Kentucky, was born at Blandville,
Ballard county, Kentucky, February 25, 1876.  He is a son of William
C. and Fannie E. (Hall) Ray, natives of Hardin county and Ballard
county, respectively.  William C. Ray is now a leading lawyer of
Bardwell, Kentucky, and a very highly respected citizen of that
place.
     James Buchanan Ray was about seven years of age when his
parents moved from Blandville to Bardwell, and in the latter city he
attended high school and later entered the Northern Indiana Normal
School, at Valparaiso, Indiana.  Later he was sent to the United
States Infantry, but shortly afterwards resigned to engage in the
study of law in the University of New York.  In the summer of 1900
Mr. Ray was admitted to the Kentucky bar, and first began his
professional career at Bardwell, Kentucky, but January 1, 1901, he
located at Paducah for the purpose of continuing his law practice,
believing that city offered excellent opportunities in this
direction.  Here he rapidly rose both professionally and
politically, and in January, 1903, was made private secretary to
Judge J. T. Munn, of the Kentucky court of appeal at Frankfort,
Kentucky.  Earlier in life Mr. Ray taught for a brief period in the
country schools, and later was professor of mathematics in Peekskill
Military University, a branch of the State University of New York. 
Mr. Ray is an active worker in the Democratic ranks and prominent in
fraternal circles, being a member of the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Redmen.  He is a member of the Baptist church and gives
liberally towards its support. 

Ray Hall Munn
=
Ballard-KY Hardin-KY IN

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/mccracken/ray.jb.txt