In his senior picture, Raymond A. “Ray” Nott’s confident young face peers from the 1950 TU Kendallabrum, seemingly eager to begin his future. Graduating at 28, he had come to The University of Tulsa by a more circuitous route than most. Ray Nott had graduated from Tulsa Central High School’s vocational program, where he had been attracted to hands-on pursuits, such as woodworking, metal works, and the mysteries of electricity.
He seemed to be fascinated by a wide array of subjects, and instead of going directly to college, he decided to try his hand at a number of different vocations. During the six years after his high school graduation, he worked as a riveter for American Airlines; as a Golden Glove lightweight boxer; as the business manager and printer for a paint company; and as a dance band drummer and entertainer with the USO during World War II.
In 1946, Ray Nott arrived at TU and began his studies, ultimately graduating with a BA in religion in 1950. While on campus, he served as president of TU’s “Y,” an interdenominational Christian organization, and this leadership position helped shape the direction of his life. After his TU graduation, Mr. Nott attended Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey, to obtain a Master’s in Divinity. In 1953, he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church. That same year, he married Nancianna Bishop, a young woman from Marysville, Ohio. The couple moved to Wyoming, where they spent the next 53 years. (In spite of that, Ray always called himself an “Okie” even though he was not a native Oklahoman. Born in Omaha, he liked to say his family’s move to Tulsa when he was 11 years old was the point at which his life really began.)
For 31 of those Wyoming years, Ray Nott worked in the state’s Big Horn Basin as a Presbyterian National Missionary, who ministered to the area’s rural communities. In Wyoming, Nancianna and he reared their three children, Michael, Sam, and Amanda. Sam ultimately attended TU, earning a BEE in 1980 from TU’s College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Ray Nott held countless church posts and spoke frequently. His unusual work as a “mobile minister” was featured in numerous publications, including the Saturday Evening Post. His flock included not only those in Wyoming’s small towns, but also ranchers, loggers, and Spanish-speaking Presbyterians in isolated areas across Wyoming, Nebraska, Nevada, Washington, and Colorado. He was president of the Northwest College Board of Trustees in Powell, Wyoming, and president of the Wyoming Youth Council, and he even served for a time as a Wyoming state senator. Mr. Nott was instrumental in helping the Wyoming Health Systems Agency develop a state health plan, but he still found time for his hobbies – playing tennis, building model ships, traveling, writing poems, and calling square dances.
In 1976, at the height of his career, The University of Tulsa honored Raymond Nott as a Distinguished Alumnus. After he retired in the 1980s, he and Nancianna did not appear to slow down very much. They continued their work for the church, traveling to Thailand to manage and direct the Bangkok Christian Guest House for two years.
In 2004, the Notts chose to honor Ray’s alma mater with a generous gift. The Raymond and Nancianna Nott Endowed Scholarship in Political Science and Philosophy at TU benefits students majoring in those two disciplines, with a preference for scholars who demonstrate “first and foremost a love of learning and a quest to expand his or her mind.” Ray Nott died just two years after making this much-appreciated contribution to TU. Nancianna Nott now lives in Texas where she participates in arts and community activities.
The University of Tulsa family deeply appreciates this wonderful scholarship program, which will support students with varied interests and insatiable curiosity for generations to come as Raymond and Nancianna Nott Scholars.
