Ray Edwin Robinson began his academic career on the faculties of Cascade College and the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he conceived and launched doctoral studies and innovative seminars. They achieved unparalleled nationwide success as models for summer session programs in music education.

Recognized as a leading music administrator, choral conductor, music critic and music educator, Robinson served as president of the prestigious Westminster Choir College. While there, he revitalized the curriculum, upgraded the faculty, increased enrollment, raised the level of admission standards, tripled the endowment of the institution, and balanced its budget. He was known even in the field of international cultural relations through his service as Advisor to the Rumanian Ministries of Culture, Tourism and Education, and his significant contribution to Puerto Rico in a program designed to raise the cultural level of rural citizens.