PROFILE:John E. Ryan was born on July 3, 1930 in Wakefield, Mass. and worked alongside his parents, James and Lillian Ryan, and nine siblings on their 50-acre farm raising greyhounds. Nicknamed “Jackie,” he graduated from Wakefield High School, attended Boston College, and was an Army veteran who earned the Bronze Star while serving in Korea. He married Louise A. Cooper in 1967, moved to Abilene, Kan. in 1977, and died on April 2, 2015. Also inducted into the Pioneer section were his father, James J. Ryan, in 1990, and his brother, Paul Ryan, in 2019.

HISTORY: John first became involved with the greyhound industry when his parents boarded greyhounds for the kennels racing at nearby Wonderland Greyhound Park. In 1942, the family raised a litter of greyhounds for a kennel owner and received three puppies as payment. Jackie’s father established Ryan Kennels, and the family was one of the first to raise greyhounds in the New England climate. A member of the National Greyhound Association, John raced greyhounds at Wonderland, Seabrook, Phoenix and Southland Greyhound Parks. In the mid 1980s, he became the stud master for Ballyregan Bob, an outstanding European racing greyhound.

ACOMPLISHMENTS: Two of the puppies received as payment were successful; Maude Brooks won the 1947 Tampa Derby, and Bit of Buzz won the 1944 Taunton Gold Collar Stake, the 1944 Blue Ribbon Stake, and both the 1945 and 1947 Wonderland Inaugurals. Bud Jack, named after Jackie and his brother, Paul, was crowned the Hollywood Track Champion in 1958 and 1959 after capturing the 1959 Hollywood Derby, the Wonderland Derby and the Wonderland Middlesex County Championship. After moving to Abilene, John found success with OK Troy, the 1981 Wonderland Track Win Leader with 56 wins and the winner of the 1981 Battle of the Ages and the 1982 Seabrook Great Greyhound Race. Shur Good Time was the 1983 Wonderland Track Win Leader with 27 victories and was the 1984 Seabrook Great Greyhound Race champion.