(1932 – 2021)
Dr. Alfred Ray Cavender was born in Waverly TN, the youngest of five children. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps stationed in Germany. Cavender received a Bachelor and Masters degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He later received a Kellogg Fellowship for Post-Doctoral study in Economics and Public Policy at North Carolina State University.
Cavender came to Auburn in 1958 as Livestock and Meat Marketing Specialist. In his career he served as Chair of Extension Resource-Use Division, Associate Director, and Acting Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
During his 35 years of professional service, he received state and national recognition for programmatic and administrative leadership. Upon his retirement in 1993, the Alabama Legislature passed resolutions commending his leadership and educational contributions to the people of Alabama.
As an active member of the Auburn United Methodist Church, he served as chairman of the administrative board and on the parish relations and budget committees. Cavender was a lay speaker for rural churches in Lee County. He served on the Board of Directors for the Alabama West Florida Methodist Foundation.
He was a member of the Auburn/Opelika Elks Lodge #1834, the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture, and supported numerous community and charitable organizations. He loved everything Auburn and was an enthusiastic supporter of Auburn University athletics.
Dr. A. Ray Cavender is survived by his wife, Dr. Dorothy Haggard Cavender, and a daughter, Dr. Ray Carol Cavender and her husband Brice Cole.
In recognition of his years of service, the name Dr. A. Ray Cavender is inscribed on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number 660
