DALLAS — Ray Hutchison, senior bond counsel at Bracewell & Giuliani in Dallas and a key player in the development of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the new Parkland Hospital died Sunday night. He was 81.
Hutchison, the husband of former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, had suffered from heart problems, his family said. He died at the University of Texas Southwestern Hospital.
Hutchison worked for years as senior counsel at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins before V&E's public finance practice was sold to Bracewell & Giuliani in 2011.
In the course of his career as a bond lawyer, Hutchison led negotiations to bring the Washington Senators to Arlington and played a role in getting the bond-financed major-league ballpark built. He also worked on the the public financing of Reunion Arena, former home of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball League and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He then helped developAmerican Airlines Center, where the two teams now play.
Hutchison was involved in the bond financing of the $1 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Hutchison's role in obtaining finance for DFW Airport against airline opposition was so significant that former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk said the airport should be named for him.
Officials at Bracewell estimate that Hutchison was involved in more than $20 billion worth of deals.
"Ray was involved in virtually every major government development project in North Texas over the past five decades," said Ben Brooks, a longtime friend and head of Bracewell's public finance practice.
Born Elton Ray Hutchison in September, 1932, Hutchison graduated from Crozier Tech High School and Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
He was elected state representative in 1973 and served four years before he was named chairman of the state Republican Party. Hutchison ran for governor but lost in the primary to another Dallas Republican Bill Clements. Clements became the state's first Republican governor since reconstruction.
Hutchison met Kay Bailey, in the Texas House, where both were Republican legislators. After their marriage, Hutchison began guiding his wife's career, leading to her election in the U.S. Senate. Kay Bailey Hutchison retired in 2013 after an unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Gov. Rick Perry.
"This weekend, we lost an extraordinary Texan in Ray Hutchison," Gov. Rick Perry said in a prepared statement. "Ray was a leader in every aspect of his life, and his contributions to the state of Texas will positively impact countless Texans for generations to come. Ray was a true public servant, a devoted husband and a loving father."
Funeral arrangements were pending Monday.
