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Category: Region History

Published on Monday, 23 September 2013 18:02

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Ray Herndon (1929 - 2013)

Ray Herndon, former Oklahoma Region member, died earlier this year at age 84. Ray, a commercial artist, was the first editor of the Gasket Gazette. In the July, 1957 "Nameless Newsletter" he published a contest to chose a name for the newsletter:

 “On our Name the Newsletter contest - would you please drop a postcard (one to a member and I’ll be damned lucky if I get that) for your choice of the following: “Piston Chatter”, “Engine Room Echos”, “Oki- Dope”, “Pit Stop”, “The Main-Bearing”, “Check Point Chit-Chat”, “The RPM Redline”, “Exhaust Notes”, “Press On Palaver”, “Gasket Gazette”, Please reply on this matter, Aw come on horse, pretty please !”

 In the August; Volume 1, No 1. Gasket Gazette, Ray commented:

 “The “Name the Newsletter” contest was won by Louie Carroll. His title received one vote. Total official votes cast ONE. I want to thank you all for your overwhelming cooperation on this matter. James Krahl was the guilty party who voted. Something wrong with that boy?"

Ray held several region offices: Secretary 1957, Regional Executive 1959 and Assistant Regional Executive 1958.

 Ray also held a Competition License, and is shown in his Bugeye Sprite with his wife Sue. (Your editor believes but cannot confirm that this photo was taken at the 1961 Petite Prix in Norman,)

 

But perhaps his most lasting contribution to Oklahoma Region was his designing of the Region’s iconic logo, the Indian.