Frederick Joseph Ryan Jr. (born April 12, 1955) is an American media entrepreneur, political analyst, author, and lawyer who served as the publisher and chief executive officer of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' from 2014 to 2023. He was the president and

chief operating officer A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the C ...

of Allbritton Communications Company and the founding

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

and president of ''

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American political digital newspaper company founded by American banker and media executive Robert Allbritton in 2007. It covers politics and policy in the Unit ...

''. He served as the

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

for former President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

from 1989 to 1995 and is the chairman of the board of trustees of the

Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the Presidential library system, presidential library and burial site of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States (1981–1989), and his wife Nancy Reagan. Located in Simi Valley, California ...

and Institute.

Early life

Ryan was born on April 12, 1955, in

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. His parents, Fred and Beth Ryan, were both military veterans. He grew up on military bases in the US and abroad.

Education

In 1977, Ryan graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

with a bachelor's degree from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. In 1980, Ryan graduated with honors from the USC Law School. Ryan received an honorary doctorate and delivered the commencement address at the

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

graduation ceremony in 2019.

Early career

Ryan worked as an attorney at the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

law firm of Hill, Farrer, and Burrill before joining 1980 Reagan- Bush presidential campaign.

White House years

Ryan began serving at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

in February 1982 during the

Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following his landslide victory over ...

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. From 1982-1989, Ryan served as the Assistant to the President under Reagan. When President Reagan left office in 1989, Ryan was selected to be his

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

. In this role, Ryan was responsible for the establishment and operation of Reagan's office in

Century City Century City is a 176-acre (71.2 ha) neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located on the Westside to the south of Santa Monica Boulevard around 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Los Angeles, Cent ...

. Ryan worked on the design, fundraising, planning, and overseeing the construction of the

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the presidential library and burial site of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States (1981–1989), and his wife Nancy Reagan. Located in Simi Valley, California, the library is administere ...

. Ryan left his position as Chief of Staff in 1995.

Media career

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 the broadcast and cable properties. In 2007, Ryan served as the first president and chief executive officer of the website and newspaper ''

.'' During his tenure as president and CEO, ''Politico'' received its first

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

in 2012 and was recognized by ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

Magazine for Excellence'' as one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" in March 2010. The May 2013 issue of ''Washington Life'' included Ryan in the "Power 100" list of the One Hundred Most Influential People in Washington. In September 2014,

Jeff Bezos Jeffrey Preston Bezos ( ;; and Robinson (2010), p. 7. ; born January 12, 1964) is an American businessman best known as the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce and clou ...

, owner of ''

'', named Ryan Publisher and CEO. During his tenure, ''The Post'' won 13 Pulitzer Prizes and was twice recognized by ''Fast Company'' as the "World's Most Innovative Media Company." by ''

'' He guided the publication through multiple years of growth and profitability while significantly expanding its readership and subscriber base. Ryan has advocated for the importance of independent journalism. He produced a Super Bowl ad featuring Tom Hanks to highlight the work of journalists worldwide. Ryan also founded the Press Freedom Partnership following the killing of ''Post'' journalist

Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi (13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018) was a Saudi journalist, Saudi dissidents, dissident, author, columnist for ''Middle East Eye'' and ''The Washington Post'', and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab New ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and the detention of Austin Tice in Syria. To expand ''The Post's'' reach, Ryan formed created a joint venture with Creative Artists Agency and

Imagine Entertainment Imagine Entertainment, formerly Imagine Films Entertainment, also known simply as Imagine (stylized in all caps as IMAGINE), is an American film and television production company founded in November 1985 by producer Brian Grazer and director Ron ...

to produce films based on its journalism. After 9 years, Ryan stepped down from his role and helped launch the Ronald Reagan Center on Civility and Democracy.

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." Under Ryan's chairmanship, the Reagan Foundation obtained 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 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,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

home each year. Ryan led the team that organized the national tribute and funeral for Ronald Reagan in June 2004. He was a pallbearer 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 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 and from 2012-2022, he served as Chairman of White House Historical Association. As part of the "Campaign for White House History", Ryan worked with First Ladies

Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (née Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American educator who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 as the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was previously the fir ...

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

, 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.

Recognition and Awards

Ryan's work in journalism and First Amendment advocacy was recognized with Adweek's "Publishing Executive of the Year Award" in 2017, the "2018 Leadership Award" from the International Women's Media Foundation, and the "2019 Freedom of Speech Award" for advancing free speech and the First Amendment by the Media Institute. His other awards and recognition include the University of Southern California Alumni Award, 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. The book was recognized with 14 major book awards including the OIV Award from France. His wine writings have appeared in multiple publications, including ''The Wall Street Journal''. 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).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Fred 1955 births Living people Reagan administration personnel American political consultants United States presidential advisors University of Southern California alumni Assistants to the president of the United States USC Gould School of Law alumni American chief executives American chief operating officers Politico people The Washington Post publishers