Mary Ryan (academic)
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Mary Ryan (14 December 1873 – 16 June 1961) was the first woman in Ireland or Great Britain to be a professor at a university. She was the Professor of Romance Languages at
University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...
in 1910.


Early life and education

Ryan was born on 14 December 1873 at 4 Thomas Street West, Cork city, to Edward Ryan and Matilda (née O'Connor) of Blackrock Road. Edward Ryan owned the soap manufacturing company which later made candles. The company became Kinsale Candles and now belongs to Punch Industries, a subsidiary of
Henkel Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Founded in 1876, the DAX company is organized into two globally operating business units (Cons ...
. Ryan attended, and was the first student, at St Angela's College in Cork; initially founded as a secondary school for girls by the Ursuline Sisters. The school extended its reach to become what was then known as a 'University top' where girls could get a University education before sitting the exams through the
Royal University of Ireland The Royal University of Ireland was a university in Ireland that existed from 1879 to 1909. It was founded in accordance with the University Education (Ireland) Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the ...
. Women were not allowed to attend lectures in the University but they could sit the exams and get a degree. Ryan gained her
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in 1895 from the Royal University.


Career

Appointed in 1909 as a lecturer in German, Ryan became the first woman professor when she was appointed in 1910 in
University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...
. Ryan was able to join the faculty because of the legislative change in 1908 which had created the National University of Ireland, a University system which did allow for the admittance of women. While this created greater opportunity for Ryan and others, it spelled the end of the women's colleges like St Angela's since they were no longer needed to give women a University education. She was known for sending students to complete postgraduate education in the Sorbonne and she was awarded a
Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
for her publications. She was also awarded the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
by the French Government. In a letter to
Aloys Fleischmann Aloys Fleischmann (13 April 1910 – 21 July 1992) was an Irish composer, musicologist, professor and conductor. Early life and education Fleischmann was born in Munich to Ireland-based German parents. Both were musicians, both graduates of the ...
,
Seán Ó Faoláin Seán Proinsias Ó Faoláin (27 February 1900 – 20 April 1991) was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Irish culture. A short-story writer of international repute, he was also a leading commentator and critic. Biography Ó ...
had this to say about Professor Ryan: Ryan retired in 1938 and died on 16 June 1961 at Gortalough,
Douglas, County Cork Douglas () is a suburb, with a village core, in Cork (city), Cork city, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Douglas is also the name of the townland, Parish (Catholic Church), Roman Catholic parish, Church of Ireland parish and Civil parishes in Irel ...
. Prof Ryan was deeply religious, and her faith and academic nature is displayed in her contributions to publications such as the Dublin Review, Irish Educational Review, Blackfriars Monthly, and Irish Rosary.


Legacy

In 2010 former
President of Ireland The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly figurehead, ceremonial institution, serving as ...
Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson (; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who served as the president of Ireland from December 1990 to September 1997. She was the country's first female president. Robinson had previously served as a senato ...
was part of the celebrations in University College Cork, held to commemorate the achievement of a woman being appointed as Professor for the first time. The UCC School of Languages, Literature and Cultures has named a scholarship in her honor, the Mary Ryan Language Scholarship, awarded annually.


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * *


See also


In Profile: Professor Mary Ryan
, University Express
Women in University
* The Admission of Women to the National University of Ireland Judith Harford 44 ''Education Research and Perspectives'', Vol. 35, No.2, 2008 * ''The College: A History of Queen's/University College Cork'', 1845–1995, John A. Murphy, Cork University Press, 1995
Bibliography

President Robinson on Mary Ryan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Mary 1873 births 1961 deaths 19th-century Irish people 20th-century Irish people Academics of University College Cork Alumni of the Royal University of Ireland Knights of the Legion of Honour Irish women academics Scholars and academics from Cork (city)