Born April 13, 1894, Kankakee, Ill. Died May 15, 1978.

A short, stocky runner (5-5, 118 pounds), Joie Ray was one of the most versatile distance runners of the 1920s, being able to run competitively in any distance from the one mile to the marathon.

Nicknamed "Chesty", Ray, who represented the Illinois A.C., won 13 National AAU titles during his career, including eight in the outdoor mile, and was a member of three Olympic teams. He was eighth in the Olympic 1,500 in 1920, took a bronze medal with third in the 3,000-meter team race in 1924 and ran two events in 1928, placing 14th in the 10 kilometers and fifth in the marathon. A taxi driver by trade, Ray tied the world indoor mile record of 4:12.0 in 1925 and held a share of the world 4 x 1-mile relay record. Later, he was noted for running the mile on his birthday, a practice he continued until late in life.