Raymond B. Pratt died peacefully at home in Dillon, Montana on January 31, 2023.
Ray was born in 1940 in Detroit. He spent his early years in Lansing and graduated from J.W. Sexton High School. He attended Michigan State University and paid for school by working at the A&P Grocery, earning a BA, then an MA in Political Science in 1965. During that time he married fellow student Eleanor Hatfield. Ray earned a PhD from the University of Oregon in 1968.
His lifelong profession was professor of political science, first at Washington University in St. Louis. Then beginning in 1971, he joined the faculty at Montana State University in Bozeman, teaching, advising, authoring two books and numerous articles, and retiring as Professor Emeritus in 2006.
Ray was an audiophile and collector of records beginning in the 1950s. He co-founded the Bozeman Blues & Jazz Society, and in 1979 he began a radio show at KGLT, “The Blues Tradition,” that continued until 2016. In addition to sharing music generously over the years, he was an avid gardener, film enthusiast, dog lover, and enjoyer of the outdoors. He delighted in many friendships across the country, from Santa Barbara to St. Louis to Washington, D.C. Whether in the classroom or on the air, he was working to create, and hoped we all would create, in his words, “the very best kind of world we would want to live in.”
Ray is survived by his wife of over 30 years, Sara Goulden. He also leaves sisters Kathie Pratt and Ellen Pratt of Puerto Rico, daughter Leah Pratt, and grandchildren Elsa and John Roberts of Austin. Memories may be shared at https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/RaymondPratt/
In memory of Ray, donations may be made to KGLT.net to keep sharing the music.
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About |
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| Name | Raymond B. Pratt |
| Date of Birth | August 5th, 1940 |
| Date of Death | January 31st, 2023 |
| Home Town | Lansing, MI, US |
| Other City | Bozeman, MT, US |
| In Memoriam Donation | KGLT |
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Milestones |
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| 1958 | J. W. Sexton, High School | ||
| 1961 | Marriage to Eleanor | ||
| 1962 | Michigan State University, BA Political Science | ||
| 1965 | Michigan State University, MA Political Science | ||
| 1968 | University of Oregon, Ph.D. Political Science | ||
| 1968 | Taught at Washington University in St. Louis | ||
| 1969 | Birth of daughter | ||
| 1971 - 2006 | Professor of Political Science, Montana State University | ||
| 1979 | Began deejaying at KGLT | ||
| 1980 | Cofounded Bozeman Blues & Jazz Society | ||
| 1987 | Partnership with Sara | ||
| 1990 | Published Rhythm & Resistance | ||
| 2002 | Published Projecting Paranoia | ||
| 2017 | Moved to Dillon, MT | ||
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published a tribute .
Ray and I were closest friends from the time we met -- in January 1969 -- at Washington University in St. Louis until his passing in January 2023. We taught together at Wash U., shared an interest in radical politics at the time, shared another interest in jazz and blues, and spent time visiting each other over the years. I can say that Ray was probably the best friend I have had in this life -- a relationship that grew and evolved over time, took many directions, and provided a kind of friendship and sharing that is quite rare in this life. I will miss Ray terribly. One of our last experiences together was a special conference panel we set up in Hawaii dealing with issues of film and the military. Those several days were a great time I will always remember and cherish. It would not be possible for me to share here all the hundreds of experiences together in St. Louis, the Bay Area, Boston, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and Montana. There will never be another friendship for me like the one I had with Ray. He said in one of his books that we were sort of like the Blues Brothers. And I will leave it just like that. Farewell, Ray.
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published a tribute .
I met Ray, his then-wife Eleanor, and their daughter, Leah, through my parents when we moved to Bozeman in 1973. Ray and my dad became fast friends, both profs at MSU and sympatico in music & politics. I babysat for Leah many times and got to know their family in my early teens. His deep & silky radio voice is forever etched in my brain, and he was one cool cat. Rest in peace, Ray. Thanks for the music.
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published a tribute .
I knew Ray only through Facebook. I enjoyed his posts, and he seemed to enjoy mine. He always seemed like the kind of person I'd like to know "in real life," and I am sad that this will never, now, be possible.
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published a comment .
I met Ray, his then-wife Eleanor, and their daughter, Leah, when we moved to Bozeman in 1973. Ray and my dad became fast friends, both profs at MSU and sympatico in music & politics. I babysat for Leah many times and got to know their family in my early teens. His deep & silky radio voice is forever etched in my brain, and he was one cool cat. Rest in peace, Ray. Thanks for the music.
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published a tribute .
One of the most immense inspirations of my life... a dear friend, teacher, and brother in the struggle for a better world. Ray, I could never repay the gift you gave me so long ago back in Montana in 1980. Quite simply, you believed in me and helped believe the same. Sending so many blessings, so much love, so many thanks... may we meet again.
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published a tribute .
I never met Ray but I've known Kathie since 1981 in Puerto Rico. Of course, there was the blue t-shirts 'An Hour With Raymond'. I think I drove Kathie a little crazy because everytime she mentioned Ray I always chimed in with the writing on the shirt for years & years & years. Such an accomplished man with many interests & passion s. I wish I had met him.
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published a comment .
Ray was a treasured professor with a wonderful sense of humor and a delightful KGLT Jazz DJ. I appreciated reading more about him in his obituary and through the memories shared here. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
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published a tribute .
Ray and I were best friends since grade school, where we were seated alphabetically,next to each other. We went through grade school and high school together and met again at U. of Oregon. Ray was passionate about music; back in school it was classical, the more dramatic the symphony the better. He told me he bought a bunch of cheap batons with which to direct symphonies (on LP records), as he would get so worked up during the exciting parts that he would break the baton.
He was a loving and enthusiastic friend to many, we will miss him sorely.
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published a tribute .
Ray was a huge influence on me as a jazz DJ. Ray often went deep on his shows to feature an artist, album, or specific style of jazz. While I am sure that he was just being himself, he also embodied that "cool" sound that set the standard for thoughtful, curated jazz programming. Ray was kind and giving, often burning CD's with suggested listening, or in one of my cases - an entire disc of the song "Stormy Weather," which Ray and I discussed at length some time prior. Ray was kind enough to let me revive and tweak the Thursday Evening Jazz program on KGLT with the name "The Jazz Tradition," which was my nod to "The Blues Tradition" which he had retired by that point. Thank you for sharing the music, Ray. Rest in Power. My deepest condolences to Ray's family for your loss.
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published a tribute .
I owned a house on 7th next to Ray for over a decade and have listened to KGLT since before he started his wonderful show. You wanted to listen because you learned so much, you didn't want to miss a show. The world of older Blues explained in a calm soothing voice with a deep understanding of the history behind the music. What a gift he shared with our community, leaving a lasting legacy of informed listeners. I hope his astounding record collection and any surviving tapes of his shows are donated to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. RIP Good Sir. You indeed did leave our world a better place.
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published a tribute .
Ray and I met through our mutual attendance at an annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in San Francisco some time in the 1970s. We had a mutual friend in Tom Brosé, also deceased, and began an irreverent and boisterous academic friendship built around the idea that the labor movement, social movements, popular culture, and the like held many lessons for political science to which it was not paying much attention as a discipline. To varying degrees our careers took a bit of a hit for this stance, but Ray brought the appreciation of films and music into his teaching and was always a kind, thoughtful, even wistful prober of our political life. With the advent of listening to radio over the web, I was even able to catch his KGLT shows and learned much from them. As a companion blues and jazz fan, his encyclopedic knowledge and great taste was always a wonderful guide. His death is a loss for all who knew him.
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published a tribute .
Ray embodied an idea I'll call Deep DJ: His artist insights were entertainment and education. Often accompanied by him saying, "I picked up this record at {some crazy-cool indie-owned vinyl shop}. Or "I saw them perform at {some equally cool club}. RIP, Ray, your voice lives on in our minds.
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