Fred Ray

The AMSA Signal Service Award was established in 1956 and is given to members in recognition of devoted service and lasting contributions to the meat industry and to the association. All Signal Service Award winners--current, past and future--are granted Fellow status in the American Meat Science Association.

The 2007 AMSA Signal Service Awards are sponsored by Keystone Foods, West Conshohocke, Pennsylvania; Johnsonville Sausage, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; and Elanco Animal Health, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dr. Frederick K. Ray was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and was active in 4-H and FFA. He received his B.S. degree from The Ohio State University in 1967, and following a four-year break for service in the

U.S. Army and employment at Dinner Bell Foods, obtained his M.S. degree in 1974 from The Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in 1978 from Purdue University. In 1978, he joined Oklahoma State University as an Extension Animal Foods Specialist. He retired from Oklahoma State in 2003 and currently works as director of food safety and quality assurance at Outwest Meat Company in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

At Oklahoma State University, he was instrumental in developing a wide array of extension programs encompassing four major areas: carcass evaluation, youth activities, consumer education, and food processor education. He authored many fact sheets and made exceptional use of electronic media to reach a variety of audiences.

Fred’s early activities focused on establishing a statewide carcass evaluation program for county and state livestock shows, as well as beef and swine performance test stations. He assisted in the development of the Oklahoma Steer Feed-Out program to allow individual producers to evaluate their breeding programs, coordinated the first Advanced Cattlemen’s Seminar with emphasis on beef carcass merit and value-based marketing, and produced a four-part video series on carcass merit which is recurrently used by youth specialists.

Dr. Ray has been very active in meat evaluation, having served as an official for national intercollegiate and youth contests and contributing numerous reviews and update materials to aid 4-H and FFA contestants. Because of his interest in future leaders, Fred established several county, district and state workshops and contests to prepare youth and leaders interested in meat evaluation and identification, utilizing video teleconferencing in the development of county meat science education programs. These extra efforts have helped Oklahoma youth succeed in National 4-H and FFA competitive events. Recognition of his youth activities is exemplified by the financial contributions received for his 4-H educational programs, which are used for scholarships and educational meat industry tours for the top three counties with meat science education programs.

His consumer education programs were designed to keep the public informed about meat products in their diet. Dr. Ray made over eighty television appearances on local television stations, including the OSU educational station. He utilized a wide array of forums to expose the public to advances in the meat industry. One example is the annual Cheese and Sausage Festival, which reaches over 10,000 consumers annually.

Fred has been an active supporter of the Oklahoma-Texas Meat Processor’s Association, where he conducted numerous seminars on curing, processing and sanitation. Working with state beef, pork and lamb auxiliary groups, he presented programs and developed exhibits for trade shows and restaurant conventions. Through his efforts with the Oklahoma Beef Industry Council, a retail seminar designed to update meat retailers on current market trends for fresh beef products has been initiated.

In addition to his 100% extension appointment, Fred taught “Meat Technology” for students in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. He also took an active role in research, which has resulted in the granting of a graduate student assistantship through the State Extension Service. With this funding, he initiated a Beef Market Basket Survey to characterize beef retailing in Oklahoma relative to other markets. He was also a cooperator on food safety projects, including an ongoing project to implement HACCP in small meat processing establishments.

Fred’s service to the American Meat Science Association has been remarkable. He has chaired numerous committees, applying a high degree of enthusiasm for each. Fred was also part of the team that conceived and implemented the popular Pork 101 symposium series for AMSA and the National Pork Board. In 1998, he served on the host committee for the Reciprocal Meat Conference. Most recently, he co-chaired the planning committee for the 2007 Processing Technology Conference held in association with the National Meat Association’s Meat Expo.

Fred and his wife Mary Beth were married in 1971 and have three children—Meredith, Emily, and Nathaniel.