Raymond J. Lane

Raymond Jay Lane was born on December 26, 1946, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Lane grew up in rural western Pennsylvania where his father was employed as a design engineer for steel production plants. Lane was heavily influenced by his father, who had emerged from the Depression-era steel business as the first member of his family to go to college, graduating from Carnegie Mellon as a mechanical engineer.

Lane attended public schools, graduating from Moon High School in 1964. Wishing to follow in his father's footsteps, Lane first pursued a degree in aeronautical engineering at West Virginia University (WVU). He later changed his major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1968.

IBM

After graduating, Lane joined IBM's data processing division in a sales position. In 1969, Lane was drafted by the U.S. Army, and assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. Because of his computer knowledge, he was made a systems analyst responsible for logistical computer systems. He completed two years of military service and resumed his career at IBM in 1971, achieving top sales awards for three years and being promoted to a product manager responsible for large mainframe and storage systems in one of IBM's largest regions.

Electronic Data Systems

After eight years with IBM, Lane was recruited by Electronic Data Systems (EDS), led at the time by Ross Perot. He was given responsibility for a new division that provided services to large manufacturers, distributors, and retail and transportation companies. Lane ran the new division for nearly four years.

Booz Allen Hamilton

In 1981 Lane accepted a principal position with Booz Allen Hamilton in Chicago. At Booz Allen, he helped develop information technology strategies. Lane became a partner in three years and a senior partner by 1986. He led the development in the late 1980s of what became known as Information Systems Group, one of two functional practices, and four industry practices that were the firm's primary organization. He sat on the firm's executive committee and board of directors from 1987 to 1992.

Lane has three children, Kristi, Kelley, and Kari, with his first wife, Donna. He is married to Stephanie (Herle) Lane, with whom he has two children, Raymond Jay Lane III ("RJay") and Catherine Victoria ("Tori").

Lane is actively involved in philanthropic endeavors, with a focus on higher education, the Special Olympics, and Cancer Research.

As the chairman of the board of trustees of Carnegie Mellon University, Lane spearheaded the institution's capital campaign and played a pivotal role in establishing its Silicon Valley campus in 2002. A significant contribution came in 2010 when the Lanes funded Carnegie Mellon's Computational Biology program (The Lane Center for Computational Biology), which has since involved into the Computational Biology Department, one of seven degree-granting departments in the School of Computer Science. Additionally, Lane endowed a professorship chair (The Ray and Stephanie Lane Endowed Professorship), initially held by Robert F. Murphy, the founding head of the Computational Biology Department. The chair is currently held by Jian Ma.

Lane also supports his alma mater, West Virginia University (WVU), where he serves on its board of governors. He led a WVU capital campaign in the early 2000s. In recognition of a $5 million donation by the Lanes in September 2007, aimed at bolstering the university's Computer Science and Electrical Engineering programs, WVU named the department The Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Lane served as vice chairman of Special Olympics International for several years. In October 2011, Ray and Stephanie funded the organization's international expansion project, Unify, aimed at fostering inclusivity by bringing together school-aged youth with intellectual disabilities and their non-disabled peers.

Ray and Stephanie Lane are also contributors to the American Cancer Society, organizing and sponsoring events to raise funds. They initiated and funded the Stephanie H. Lane Cancer Research Network in California, dedicated to providing cancer patients with essential information and treatment resources.