Ray started his officiating career at the age of 25 starting in the Western Conference, now known as the Big Ten Conference. He officiated baseball, basketball and football and is one of the founding fathers of the AOA. He served as President of the football division from 1929 to 1935. In 1929 he was hired by the National Federation of High Schools to write a new set of football rules and train officials. He invented the Play Simulations Book in 1930 which taught rules by example that was later renamed the Case Book for both the NFHS and National Football League. In 1938 the NFL appointed Ray as Technical Rules Advisor and Supervisor of Officials and continued to work for the league through 1952. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and is the only football official in Canton.