The Ray Thelen Papers document the work of American baking technologist Ray Thelen (1918-2005). The papers span the dates 1932 through 2004. The collection includes: commercial recipes and formulas developed by Thelen; commercial and home recipes and formulas gathered from other sources; technical papers by Thelen; and correspondence between Thelen and other bakers. The collection also includes a small set of photographs and one VHS.

Ray Thelen was born on October 26, 1918, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He began working in bakeries at an early age, beginning as a shop assistant at Sunlight Bakery in St. Cloud, Minnesota at the age of eight. Throughout his youth, Thelen worked at a number of bakeries, including the Cushman Bakery, Dinkel's Bakery, and American Bakeries, all in Chicago, Illinois.

17 linear feet

All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Collection is open for research.