Ray grew up in the 2nd District and graduated from Parkway Central High School. After graduating from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, he worked as a daily newspaper reporter before becoming speechwriter in 1975 for Missouri Gov. Kit Bond. He founded The Riverfront Times at the age of 24, and built it into one of the top 10 newsweeklies in the nation. He sold the company in 1998. Hartmann served as a member of the Missouri Tourism Commission and as national president of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. Among many awards, Hartmann was inducted into the Parkway Alumni Hall of Fame, the St. Louis Print Media Hall of Fame and was named Media Person of the Year by the Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis.