Senior Statesman was Visionary Leader of Modern Public Liberal Arts College

St. Mary’s College of Maryland mourns the passing of former trustee and St. Mary’s county statesman J. Frank Raley.  Raley served on the St. Mary’s College Board of Trustees for 24 years (1967-1991) and was instrumental in establishing St. Mary’s as a four-year public liberal arts college.  He counseled every college president from James Renwick Jackson to current President Joseph Urgo. 

“J. Frank Raley was a visionary leader.  He not only laid the foundation for St. Mary’s College of Maryland as a premier public liberal arts college, he was a chief supporter of the college’s mission and goals throughout his lifetime,” said St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s  President, Joseph Urgo.  “He made significant contributions to almost every area on campus, from the construction of residence halls and campus facilities to the establishment of the Center for the Study of Democracy, and the preservation of oral histories with the SlackWater Project. We continue to be grateful for his vision and leadership.”   

Born in Park Hall, Maryland on September 13, 1926, Raley was a lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County.   He attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy and earned his B.A. from Georgetown University.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1944-1946 during World War II and returned to St. Mary’s to become an insurance agent and developer.  Raley served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1955-1958 and the Maryland Senate from 1963-1966. 

“J. Frank Raley was a passionate public servant,” added college trustee and Congressman Steny Hoyer.  “He had the vision and tenacity to shape public policy in our state and tirelessly dedicated himself to improving the quality of life in Southern Maryland and to shaping important institutions such as St. Mary’s College of Maryland. While few people had the foresight to position St. Mary’s County as a vibrant community, J. Frank Raley made strategic investments in Southern Maryland, both while in public office and for more than four decades after leaving public office, which helped transform Southern Maryland counties into some of the wealthiest in the nation. He put the region on the map and created a new generation of public servants.”

While in the General Assembly, Raley successfully secured funding for Lexington Park development, critical infrastructure, and for primary and secondary education.  As a senator, he supported and passed legislation that transitioned St. Mary’s Junior College into St. Mary’s College of Maryland; a four-year, liberal arts, baccalaureate-granting public college.  He continued to lobby on behalf of the college, generating funds for academic buildings and programs and sponsoring legislation that would give public colleges greater control over the raising of private funds.  Those efforts led to the incorporation of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Foundation in 1972 and the opportunity to raise and award scholarship aid to students.