Ryan was born on April 12, 1955, in Tampa, Florida.[2] His parents, Fred and Beth Ryan, were both military veterans. He grew up on military bases in the US and abroad.
Ryan received an honorary doctorate degree and delivered the commencement address at the Wake Forest University graduation ceremony in 2019.[3]
Career
Attorney
Ryan was an attorney in the Los Angeles, California law firm of Hill, Farrer and Burrill before joining the successful 1980 Reagan-Bush presidential campaign.[2]
White House years
Ryan began serving at the White House in February 1982 during the Reagan administration as Deputy Director of Presidential Appointments and Scheduling. He was appointed a year later to the position of Director of Presidential Appointments and Scheduling. In 1985, Ryan was appointed by the President to head the White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives, as well as maintaining his position as Director of Presidential Appointments and Scheduling.[2]
While on the White House staff, Ryan conceived and directed the International Conference on Private Sector Initiatives which took place in Paris, France. It led to subsequent gatherings at Private Sector Initiatives conferences in Italy and the United Kingdom involving top global CEOs and senior government officials.
On November 4, 1987, President Reagan personally appointed Ryan to be Assistant of the President, the highest level of staff position in the White House.[2]
When President Reagan left office on January 20, 1989, he and First Lady Nancy Reagan returned to California. Ryan was selected to be the former President's Chief of Staff. During this time, Ryan was responsible for the establishment and operation of Reagan's office in Century City.[4] He was also instrumental in the design, fundraising, planning, and overseeing the construction of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Following his service as Chief of Staff to former President Reagan, Ryan became vice-chairman of the television, cable, and internet company Allbritton Communications. As President and COO of the company, he managed its multiple broadcast and cable properties.[5]
In 2007, Ryan co-founded Politico, a politically focused website and newspaper. Under his leadership as president and CEO, Politico received its first Pulitzer Prize and was recognized by Fast Company Magazine for Excellence as one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" in March 2010. In the May 2013 issue of Washington Life, the impact of Politico was noted with Ryan's inclusion in the "Power 100" list of the One Hundred Most Influential People in Washington.
In September 2014, Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, named Ryan Publisher and CEO, signaling a new digitally focused direction for the publication. Ryan's leadership of The Washington Post was described as "a turnaround nothing short of miraculous" and an "extraordinary digital transformation."[6] During his time as Publisher, The Post won 13 Pulitzer Prizes [7] and was twice recognized by Fast Company as the "World's Most Innovative Media Company."[8] He led the publication into multiple years of growth and profitability[9] while dramatically expanding its readership and subscriber base.[10]
Ryan has been a voice for the importance of independent journalism and produced a Super Bowl ad with Tom Hanks drawing attention to the brave work of journalists around the world.[11]
He has been an advocate on behalf of First Amendment Rights and formed the Press Freedom Partnership following the killing of Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul and the detention of Austin Tice in Syria.[12]
To expand the reach of Washington Post journalism, Ryan formed partnerships with the tech platforms and created a joint venture with Creative Artists Agency and Imagine Entertainment to produce films based on The Washington Post's reporting.[13]
During Ryan's time as Publisher, The Post vastly expanded its international coverage, investigative teams, political reporting and other coverage areas.[14]
After leading The Post for 9 years, Ryan announced his intention to transition out of the role as Publisher to launch the new Center on Civility and Democracy.[15][16][17][18]
Reagan Foundation
In 1995, Ryan became the chairman of the board of trustees for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. He manages the foundation and takes part in Reagan Presidential Library events, with a mission of "preserving Ronald Reagan's legacy."[19]
Under Ryan's chairmanship, the Reagan Foundation garnered the "crown jewel" of President artifacts by obtaining Air Force One, the Presidential Aircraft that had flown Reagan and six other Presidents of the United States. Through funds contributed by his friend T. Boone Pickens and other donors, the Air Force One Museum was built at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. Ryan also led the launch of the Ronald Reagan Institute, a Washington-based policy center affiliated with the Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Ryan made a personal contribution of his own to the Reagan Presidential Library by purchasing the Ronald Reagan Pub in County Tipperary, Ireland while visiting it on a family vacation in 2004. The working pub was completely disassembled and transported by container ship to Los Angeles where it was reassembled under the wing of Air Force One at the Reagan Presidential Library. Presidential journalist, Hugh Sidey, joined in for the formal dedication of the Ronald Reagan Pub at the Library. In making the gift, Ryan expressed his pride in his Irish heritage which may account for the reason he and his wife host a large St. Patrick's Day party at their Potomac, MD home each year.
Ryan headed the team that organized the moving national tribute and funeral for Ronald Reagan in June 2004. He was a Pall Bearer at President Reagan's request.
Ryan headed the year-long celebration of Ronald Reagan's 100th Birthday in 2011. President Obama appointed him to the bipartisan Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission created by an act of Congress. Ryan was elected Chairman of the commission by the bipartisan group of United States Senators and Members of Congress that served on the commission with him. Events were held across the country and in major European Capitals celebrating the impact of Reagan policies in promoting freedom and democracy.
In the years following the Reagan Administration, Ryan was very close to Nancy Reagan and is said to have advised her on important matters.
White House Historical Association
Ryan has served as a Director of the White House Historical Association since 2001. From 2012-2022, Ryan served as Chairman of White House Historical Association.[20]
As part of the "Campaign for White House History", Ryan worked with First Ladies Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Melania Trump and Jill Biden as well as former First Family members of both political parties to provide funding for educational and preservation projects for the White House.
David M. Rubenstein, former White House aide and philanthropist, supported this effort through a $10 million gift to create the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History. Another major project of the fundraising campaign was the White House Visitors Center.[20][21]
Recognition and Awards
Ryan's leadership in journalism and First Amendment Freedom was recognized with Adweek's "Publishing Executive of the Year Award" in 2017,[22] the "2018 Leadership Award" from the International Women's Media Foundation,[23] and the "2019 Freedom of Speech Award" for advancing free speech and the First Amendment by the Media Institute.[24]
His other awards and recognition include the University of Southern California Alumni Award,[25] the French Chevalier of Arts and Letters, Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, Commandeur du Ouissam Alaouite of Morocco and "Lion" of Venice.
Wine Writer and Author
Ryan authored Wine and the White House: A History (1st Ed. 2021, 2nd Ed. 2024) for the White House Historical Association.[26] The book was recognized with 14 major book awards including the prestigious OIV Award from France.[27] His wine writings have appeared in multiple publications including The Wall Street Journal.[28]
Ryan is the author of Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator (2001, Harper Collins) and Ronald Reagan, the Wisdom and Humor of the Great Communicator (1995, Harper Collins). He also served as executive producer of the highly acclaimed documentary "The Reagan Years" (1988).
