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Thereafter, he studied speech and theatre arts at Marietta College in Marietta, [[Ohio]], from which he obtained the [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1950. He married the former Jacqueline Price<ref name=whow/> (born 1927) in Bellaire in Belmont County,  Ohio. In 1951, he received a [[Master of Arts]] in speech, theater, and radio communication from the University of Houston.<ref name=honor>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107153007/https://tti.tamu.edu/hall_of_honor/inductees/2004.htm|title=Texas Transportation Institute Hall of Honor:Ray A. Barnhart|publisher=Tamu.edu|accessdate=January 9, 2009}}</ref> He returned to Marietta College as a [[professor]] from 1951 to 1955. With an ending salary of $3,050 annually at Marietta College, the Barnharts relocated to Houston, where he entered the construction businesses. He first dug water and sewer lines and later specialized in underground utilities. Thereafter, he was an [[insurance]] agent from 1978 to 1981.<ref name=whow/>​

Thereafter, he studied speech and theatre arts at Marietta College in Marietta, [[Ohio]], from which he obtained the [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1950. He married the former Jacqueline Price<ref name=whow/> (born 1927) in Bellaire in Belmont County,  Ohio. In 1951, he received a [[Master of Arts]] in speech, theater, and radio communication from the University of Houston.<ref name=honor>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107153007/https://tti.tamu.edu/hall_of_honor/inductees/2004.htm|title=Texas Transportation Institute Hall of Honor:Ray A. Barnhart|publisher=Tamu.edu|accessdate=January 9, 2009}}</ref> He returned to Marietta College as a [[professor]] from 1951 to 1955. With an ending salary of $3,050 annually at Marietta College, the Barnharts relocated to Houston, where he entered the construction businesses. He first dug water and sewer lines and later specialized in underground utilities. Thereafter, he was an [[insurance]] agent from 1978 to 1981.<ref name=whow/>​

==State politics==​

==State politics==

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Barnhart's political interest began with two terms on the city council in Pasadena, which he describes at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."<ref name=statement>Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010.</ref> He and other businessmen worked to establish a mayor-council form of government to replace the city commission government then in place in Pasadena and first used in 1901 in nearby [[Galveston]]. "We found it was hard to get good people to run for the city offices," he said. After two terms on the council, Barnhart ran unsuccessfully for mayor but was defeated by Clyde Doyle, a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]].<ref name=statement/> In Texas, municipal offices are technically non-partisan, and hence no party labels appear on the ballot. Barnhart recalls that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption.<ref name=statement/>​

Barnhart's political interest began with two terms on the city council in Pasadena, which he describes at the time as "a lovely community but politically corrupt."<ref name=statement>Statement of Ray Barnhart, January 7, 2010.</ref> He and other businessmen worked to establish a mayor-council form of government to replace the city commission government then in place in Pasadena and first used in 1901 in nearby [[Galveston]]. "We found it was hard to get good people to run for the city offices," he said. After two terms on the council, Barnhart ran unsuccessfully for mayor but was defeated by Clyde Doyle, a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]].<ref name=statement/> In Texas, municipal offices are technically non-partisan, and hence no party labels appear on the ballot. Barnhart recalls that a half dozen Pasadena officials were indicted in the late 1950s and early 1960s for public corruption.<ref name=statement/>​

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Republican former state Representative Carl Isett, a Republican from [[Lubbock]], said that Barnhart made some valid points in his assessment but is too prone to blame the legislators for financial woes of TxDOT: "It's a combination of those factors. We have not given them everything they wanted but we have given them a lot. We try to fund more money for roads but a lot of that money comes from the feds." Isett said that critics blame the legislature "every time something goes wrong."<ref name=txdot/>​

Republican former state Representative Carl Isett, a Republican from [[Lubbock]], said that Barnhart made some valid points in his assessment but is too prone to blame the legislators for financial woes of TxDOT: "It's a combination of those factors. We have not given them everything they wanted but we have given them a lot. We try to fund more money for roads but a lot of that money comes from the feds." Isett said that critics blame the legislature "every time something goes wrong."<ref name=txdot/>​

 

==Later life==​

==Later life==​

During his highway tenure, the Barnharts resided in Falls Church, [[Virginia]]. The couple has two daughters, Whitney Allison Barnhart (born 1948), formerly Whitney Ziegler,<ref name=whow/> of [[Shadyside, Ohio|Shadyside]] in Belmont County, Ohio, and Mallory Ann Barnhart Rousellot (born 1955) and husband, Mark W. Rousellot (born 1954), [[rancher]]s from Sonora in Sutton County, Texas. Mallory Rousellot owns a restaurant in Sonora known as Mercantile on Main, located at the foot of the hill on which sits the county courthuse. Mallory Rousellot is a former board member of the Sonora Independent School District and has been the chairman of the Sutton County Republican Party. The Barnharts relocated to Mrs. Barnhart's home county and resided in St. Clairsville, Ohio,] within the Wheeling, West Virginia Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Barnhart had serious health problems in later years and underwent various medical treatments in Wheeling.<ref name=statement/>​

During his highway tenure, the Barnharts resided in Falls Church, [[Virginia]]. The couple has two daughters, Whitney Allison Barnhart (born 1948), formerly Whitney Ziegler,<ref name=whow/> of [[Shadyside, Ohio|Shadyside]] in Belmont County, Ohio, and Mallory Ann Barnhart Rousellot (born 1955) and husband, Mark W. Rousellot (born 1954), [[rancher]]s from Sonora in Sutton County, Texas. Mallory Rousellot owns a restaurant in Sonora known as Mercantile on Main, located at the foot of the hill on which sits the county courthuse. Mallory Rousellot is a former board member of the Sonora Independent School District and has been the chairman of the Sutton County Republican Party. The Barnharts relocated to Mrs. Barnhart's home county and resided in St. Clairsville, Ohio,] within the Wheeling, West Virginia Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Barnhart had serious health problems in later years and underwent various medical treatments in Wheeling.<ref name=statement/>​