# Sylvian Richard Ray

> Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1961

**Wikidata**: [Q102196741](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q102196741)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/sylvian-richard-ray

## Summary
Sylvian Richard Ray (also known as Sylvian R. Ray) was an American computer scientist and university teacher affiliated with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1961 and later worked at the United States Naval Research Laboratory and the Ballistic Research Laboratory.

## Biography
- Born: 1931-08-26 (Kingsville, La.; Louisiana, United States)
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1961)
- Known for: Work as a computer scientist and university teacher; doctoral advising at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Employer(s): University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign; United States Naval Research Laboratory; Ballistic Research Laboratory
- Field(s): Computer science

## Contributions
The provided sources identify Sylvian Richard Ray as a computer scientist and university teacher, with a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (1961) and professional affiliations including the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, the United States Naval Research Laboratory, and the Ballistic Research Laboratory. His documented academic contribution in the source material is mentorship through doctoral advising. Ray’s listed doctoral students include William Clark Mayse, Christopher A. Seguin, Tun Aung Gyaw, William Henry Hsu, Alex Kosorukoff, Samarth Swarup, Hassan Mahmud, and Tuna Oezer. His own doctoral advisor was James Evans Robertson.  

Beyond these roles and relationships, the supplied material does not specify particular publications, software systems, patents, standards, or named research projects attributable to Ray, nor does it provide dates for his employment periods or details of his research outputs. As a result, the most concrete, source-supported outcomes that can be stated are his completion of doctoral training at UIUC and his role in training multiple Ph.D. students.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Sylvian Richard Ray?
A: Sylvian Richard Ray was an American computer scientist and university teacher. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1961 and was affiliated with UIUC, the United States Naval Research Laboratory, and the Ballistic Research Laboratory.

### Q: Where did Sylvian Richard Ray study, and when did he earn his Ph.D.?
A: He studied at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. The source material states he received his Ph.D. in 1961.

### Q: Who advised Sylvian Richard Ray, and whom did he advise?
A: His doctoral advisor was James Evans Robertson. His listed doctoral students include William Clark Mayse, Christopher A. Seguin, Tun Aung Gyaw, William Henry Hsu, Alex Kosorukoff, Samarth Swarup, Hassan Mahmud, and Tuna Oezer.

### Q: When and where did Sylvian Richard Ray die?
A: He died on 2007-12-12 in Urbana. He was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery and Mausoleum.

## Why They Matter
Within the limits of the provided sources, Sylvian Richard Ray’s significance is best evidenced through his roles in research and education and his position within an academic lineage in computer science. He completed doctoral training at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (Ph.D., 1961) under James Evans Robertson, linking him to a documented advisor-student chain. Ray also served as a doctoral advisor to multiple students (including William Henry Hsu and others listed in the source material), indicating a sustained role in training researchers and practitioners in computer science.

The sources further place him in major U.S. research environments—UIUC as a public research university, and the United States Naval Research Laboratory and Ballistic Research Laboratory as research organizations—suggesting his work occurred at institutions central to U.S. scientific and defense-related research. However, because the material does not specify his particular technical outputs (e.g., named projects, publications, or inventions), his lasting impact cannot be tied here to a specific algorithm, system, or standard. What can be stated definitively is that he contributed to the field through professional service as a computer scientist and through mentorship of Ph.D. students.

## Notable For
- Earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (1961).
- Worked as a computer scientist and university teacher (occupation stated in sources).
- Affiliated as an employer with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, the United States Naval Research Laboratory, and the Ballistic Research Laboratory.
- Doctoral advisor: James Evans Robertson.
- Doctoral students listed in sources: William Clark Mayse; Christopher A. Seguin; Tun Aung Gyaw; William Henry Hsu; Alex Kosorukoff; Samarth Swarup; Hassan Mahmud; Tuna Oezer.

## Body
### Identity and Names
- Full name: Sylvian Richard Ray
- Alias: Sylvian R. Ray
- Sex or gender: male
- Instance of: human
- Occupations (as stated): computer scientist; university teacher

### Life Events
- Birth date: 1931-08-26
- Birth place: Louisiana (stated as “Kingsville, La.”)
- Death date: 2007-12-12
- Death place: Urbana
- Place of burial: Mount Hope Cemetery and Mausoleum
- Citizenship: United States
- Religion or worldview: Church Universal and Triumphant

### Education
- Educated at: University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Degree detail in sources: Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (1961)
- Doctoral advisor: James Evans Robertson

### Academic Mentorship
- Doctoral students (listed):
  - William Clark Mayse
  - Christopher A. Seguin
  - Tun Aung Gyaw
  - William Henry Hsu
  - Alex Kosorukoff
  - Samarth Swarup
  - Hassan Mahmud
  - Tuna Oezer

### Employment and Affiliations
- Employers (as stated in sources):
  - University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
  - United States Naval Research Laboratory
  - Ballistic Research Laboratory

### Military Service
- Military branch: United States Army
- Participated in conflict: Korean War

### Identifiers
- DBLP author ID: 75/1005
- Mathematics Genealogy Project ID: 40995

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## References

1. [The News-Gazette. 2007](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/news-gazette/name/sylvian-ray-obituary?id=29606278)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project