Raymond George Bressler Sr. (1887–1948) was an American educator with expertise in American literature and agricultural extension who served as a university administrator in Texas and Pennsylvania, and served as president of Rhode Island State College (forerunner of the University of Rhode Island) from 1931 to 1940.

While serving as president during the Great Depression, Bressler managed decreasing student enrollments and ambitious building projects on campus primarily funded by the Works Progress Administration.

Despite his success in guiding the numerous building projects and his popularity among students and faculty, he fell into political disfavor with the college's board of trustees, leading to his forced retirement in 1940.

[2] Bressler married Sarah Estella "Sadie" Lebo[10] on 4 February 1910 in Halifax, Pennsylvania[3] Bressler's first post-secondary academic appointment was as an instructor of literature at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in 1910, where he remained until 1915, when he joined the faculty of University of Texas at Austin where he stayed until 1917.

Although Bressler kept costs as low as possible, summer jobs became nonexistent and the college had to raise its fees to compensate for reduced funding by the State Assembly.

As a result, many students were unable to stay in school due to inadequate financial resources and enrollments fell into decline.