E. Raymond Hall was born on May 11, 1902, in Imes, Kansas, a few miles east of Ottawa in Franklin County. He attended local schools and received his B.A. degree from the University of Kansas in 1924. While an undergraduate, Hall worked in the Division of Mammals under the guidance of C. D. Bunker.

Through diligent study, Hall completed his degree requirements ahead of his class and accepted a teaching assistantship at the University of California at Berkeley in January 1924, receiving his M.A. degree in 1925 and Ph.D. in 1928. He served as curator of mammals at Berkeley from 1927-1944 and was acting director of the museum from 1938-1944. Upon his return to Kansas in 1944, Hall established a museum publications program, started planning and lobbying for funds for a building addition, and otherwise stimulated the growth of the museum. Professor Hall set a vigorous example for faculty and students everywhere, publishing more than 340 articles and six books. His most recent work, The Mammals of North America (second edition-two volumes), will be the definitive work on systematics and distribution of North American mammals for years to come.

Hall's influence on mammalogy goes well beyond his own research. His students and their students occupy curatorial and professorial positions at major universities throughout North America. In addition to his museum duties, Hall also served as chairman of the Department of Zoology (1944-1961) and director of the State Biological Survey (1946-1967). In recognition of his outstanding achievements and service to the University, Professor Hall was named Summerfield Distinguished Professor of Zoology in 1958.

In 1967 Professor Hall officially retired, though he continues to work in his office at the Museum of Natural History almost every day, weekends and holidays included. In addition to mammalogy, he maintains a lifelong interest in the conservation of wildlife and natural areas, and he is a long-time member of the National Park System Advisory Board of the U.S. Department of the Interior. University classes and museum workshops frequently use the Natural History Reservation, northeast of Lawrence, and Breidenthal, Rice, and Wall Woods, south of Lawrence. These tracts were acquired through Hall's efforts and will remain as a legacy for future generations.