Robert A. Ryan, professor emeritus of history whose 42-year career was the longest of any faculty member in the history of Ithaca College, died in Ithaca on March 8. He was 69. Despite his retirement in 1998, he continued teaching classes; this semester he was teaching Germany 1918-1945. His emeritus status was granted in February and awarded by President Peggy R. Williams in a ceremony held in the intensive care unit of Cayuga Medical Center shortly before his death. (See "Spring Promotions and Grants of Tenure," page 2.)

Ryan was a native of Cleveland and earned his bachelor’s degree from the Adelbert College of Western Reserve University. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees from Western Reserve. After a year teaching at Alfred University, he came to IC in 1956, when the liberal arts program was growing. He was instrumental in creating the history major and a decade later designed the history honors program. He was department chair from 1969 to 1979 and in 1985-86.

His teaching included courses on ancient history as well as modern Germany and the Holocaust, an area in which he developed a major interest during the 1980s. He worked hard to develop library resources for his new area of specialty.

Ryan was a frequent host of students at his home and a familiar figure at Bombers football games.

His colleagues, along with the development office, have begun a memorial fund in his honor. Says department chair Paul McBride, "We have established a fund to purchase books for the library. It is what we think Robert would have liked. Bookplates will be designed to identify the books, and if there is enough money, we hope to set up a perpetual fund." Contributions may be sent to Robert Ryan Memorial Fund, c/o Cassandra George, Executive Director of Development, Ithaca College, 234 Alumni Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850.