John Willetts Ryan (1880-1943)
1943 Obituary [1]
JOHN WILLETT'S RYAN was born in 1880 and educated at the Liverpool Institute and University College. He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. C. and H. Crichton, Liverpool, from 1895 to 1899 and for another year with Messrs. Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness, on the conclusion of which he was engaged for about six years on the designing staff of various engineering firms, including Messrs. Wigham Richardson and Company, of Wallsend, where he gained experience in the design of large marine type engines. He was also a lecturer at King's Lynn Technical School for two years during this period.
In 1907 he joined Messrs. Clayton and Shuttleworth, of Lincoln, as a draughtsman, and began an association which lasted for over twenty years. From 1908 he travelled as the firm's representative in many foreign countries and four years later was appointed assistant to the managing director.
During the war of 1914-18 he acted as works manager and had charge of 3,500 employees, subsequently being responsible for the organisation of extensions to the works. His appointment as a director followed in 1916, a position which he continued to hold until 1929 when he joined the Agricultural and General Engineers Company, Ltd., on whose behalf he was appointed a director of Messrs. Richard Garrett, Ltd., of Leiston, Suffolk. He resigned his directorship in 1931 and after a brief engagement with the Power Company of West Drayton, Middlesex, where he was engaged on special work of reconstruction, he finally became associated in 1932 with Messrs. K. and L. Steelfounders and Engineers, Ltd., and Messrs. Browett and Lindley (1931), Ltd., associated companies at Letchworth, and acted as their sales representative until the present war was declared, when he became head of the purchase and supply offices of the two firms at Letchworth, where his death occurred suddenly on 2nd April 1943.
Mr. Ryan was elected a Member of the Institution in 1920.