Baylor grad named ‘Texan of the Year’ by state group

You may know the name “Ray Perryman,” BS ’74, from his studies on how the breakup of the Big 12 Conference could have economically affected Waco and the state of Texas. But that’s far from the only thing on his resume — and that long resume is what earned Perryman recognition recently as “Texan of the Year” from the Texas Legislative Conference (TLC).

In their own words, the TLC is “a non-partisan organization of Texas business and political leaders who meet annually in New Braunfels to focus on public policy issues.” The group chose to recognize Perryman this year for the contributions his economic forecasts have made to the state’s long-term planning processes.

“For more than 25 years, Ray has been assessing the economic impact of corporate expansions, regulatory changes, real estate developments, public policy initiatives and myriad other factors affecting business activity,” said TLC Chair Sara Tays. “He has conducted hundreds of impact analyses for the U.S. and Texas economies, and these studies have facilitated desirable corporate locations and expansions throughout the state.”

The list of past honorees includes such names as Lady Bird Johnson, George H.W. Bush, Barbara Jordan and T. Boone Pickens, as well as Baylor alumni such as Leon Jaworski, ’25, Abner McCall, JD ’38, BA ’42, and Bob Bullock, JD ’58.

Sic ’em, Dr. Perryman!