Raymond Strother passed away on October 1, 2022. He was often called the “consultant’s consultant” by his peers. Universities teaching campaign management also named him “a living legend” in 2003. Over the course of his career, Raymond had many achievements. He was a Resident Fellow of the Institute of Politics at Harvard, a member of the Journalism Hall of Fame at LSU and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Akron. 

The Boston Globe said his book, Falling Up, How a Redneck Helped Invent Political Consulting, published in 2003, “will be the best political book for a long time.”

Fred Barnes of Fox News said “Ray Strother practically invented the political consulting profession, and he’s always been the smartest of the bunch and the creator of the most riveting campaign commercials.” Strother has been the media producer for Senators Bentsen, Long, Stennis, Deconcinni, Hart, Landrieu, Lincoln, Baucus, and others. He was media producer in two presidential campaigns for Gary Hart and produced television for Super Tuesday states for Al Gore.

Strother was a frequent commentator on network television and was an analyst for the 2000 Vice Presidential Debates for PBS. E has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlanta Constitution and scores of other publications. He also published a novel, Cottonwood. 

In recognition of Ray’s lifelong dedication to education and the AAPC Foundation’s mission to support the next generation of consultants, The AAPC Foundation will establish a paid internship in his name to be awarded to a media firm, starting in  Summer 2023.