Ray Peat

Raymond Franklin Peat (1936-2022) was a biologist, philosopher, and painter, with a primary interest in nutrition, aging, and hormones.

Raymond Peat
Born	October 12, 1936, Santee, California, U.S.
Died	November 24, 2022, Eugene, Oregon
Nationality	American
Education	Ph.D. in Biology (1972) University of Oregon
Occupation	Biologist, nutritionist, author, painter
Known for	Hormone, aging and bioenergetic research.
Notable works	Papers in Physiological Chemistry and Physics (1971–1972) Dissertation: University of Oregon (1972)
Website	https://www.raypeat.com/

Early Life

Raymond Franklin Peat was born on October 12, 1936, in Santee, California, to Sidney Howe Peat and Lou Ella Osborne. Shortly after the end of World War II, his family relocated to Oregon, where he spent the remainder of his childhood.

Education and Career

Ray attended Grants Pass High School from 1950 to 1954, where he played in the orchestra and was nicknamed "Half-Pint". He began his college education at Southern Oregon University in 1955, completing his sophomore year before transferring to the University of Oregon, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in humanities in 1958. Peat pursued graduate studies at Ohio State University from 1959 to 1960, obtaining a Master of Arts with a thesis titled "William Blake and the Mysticism of Sense and Non-Sense." He returned to the University of Oregon and completed a Ph.D. in biology in 1972, with a dissertation on age-related oxidative changes in the hamster uterus. After earning his doctorate, Peat taught at several institutions, including the University of Oregon, Urbana College, Montana State University, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Universidad Veracruzana, the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, and Blake College. In 1968, Peat traveled to Moscow in an effort to meet the biologist Trofim Lysenko, who turned out had gone to vacation. Peat instead met with Lysenko's assistant, who provided him with numerous references and studies.

In the 1970s, Peat conducted research on hormones and aging, focusing on the roles of progesterone, thyroid, and cellular energy in health and disease. He later became known for his independent research and writings on nutrition, metabolism, and endocrinology, emphasizing the protective effects of sugar, saturated fats, aspirin, coffee, coconut oil, red light, and certain hormones such as pregnenolone, progesterone, thyroid, and DHEA against stress and degeneration. Peat published dozens articles, authored five books, gave radio interviews, maintained a website sharing his ideas and answered thousands of emails until his death.

Blake College

Dr. Raymond Peat at Blake College, Valle de Bravo, Mexico.

Ray founded Blake College in 1962 in Valle De Bravo, Mexico, as an independent liberal arts school focused on student-directed learning and academic freedom. The college emphasized "teaching how to invent knowledge and solve problems," reflecting Peat's critique of rigid U.S. academic structures. The college attracted highly gifted students, and in a letter to Bertrand Russell in 1963, Ray talked of the average IQ of the students being over 145. In 1965, the college was shut down by the Mexican federales following accusations from activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who claimed the college was involved in drug trafficking. Authorities raided the school, citing items like a veterinary syringe and vitamin vials as evidence, though no charges were substantiated. Students were deported, and Peat moved to Montana to teach linguistics. Peat reopened Blake College in 1966 in Eugene, Oregon, near Skinner's Butte. The program centered on theoretical discussions of learning, creativity, and consciousness, with public lectures on topics including William Blake, biochemistry, nutrition, humanities, and existentialism. Despite efforts to gain accreditation, the college faced opposition from Oregon education officials and closed by 1975 when Peat left.

Death

Raymond Peat passed away peacefully at his home in Eugene, Oregon, on November 24, 2022, at the age of 86.

Published Works

• “William Blake and the Mysticism of Sense and Non-Sense.” (1960)
• "Age-Related Oxidative Changes in the Hamster Uterus." (1972)
• "Mind and Tissue: Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain." (1976)
• "Nutrition for Women." (1981)
• "Progesterone in Orthomolecular Medicine." (1993)
• "Generative Energy: Restoring the Wholeness of Life." (1994)
• "From PMS to Menopause." (1997)

Patents

• “Treatment of progesterone deficiency and related conditions with a stable composition of progesterone and tocopherols.” (1984)
• “Pharmaceutical compositions containing dihydroepiandrosterone and other anesthetic steroids in the treatment of arthritis and other joint disabilities.” (1986)

Gallery

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On the Back of a Tiger

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  Day one
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  Day two
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  Ray, painting a portrait
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  Ray, with interviewers
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In Mexico

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Junction City High School

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  Ray, teaching art at Junction City High School
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