# Daniel Ryan Sr. > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Daniel_Ryan_Sr. > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Daniel_Ryan_Sr..md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ryan_Sr. > Source revision: 1349843121 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American politician Daniel Ryan Sr. President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners[1] In office February 26, 1921 – December 1922 Preceded by Peter Reinberg Succeeded by Anton Cermak Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners In office December 1918 – June 13, 1923 Succeeded by Dan Ryan Jr. Personal details Born 1861 or 1862 County Tipperary, Ireland Died June 13, 1923 (aged 61) Chicago, Illinois Party Democratic **Daniel Ryan Sr.** (1861/1862–1923) was an Irish-American politician who served as a member and president of the [Cook County Board of Commissioners](/source/Cook_County_Board_of_Commissioners). ## Biography Ryan was born in [County Tipperary](/source/County_Tipperary), [Ireland](/source/Ireland).[2] In his early twenties, he moved to [Chicago](/source/Chicago),[2] settling in the [Englewood](/source/Englewood%2C_Chicago) neighborhood.[3] In his early career in Chicago, he worked at the [Union Stock Yards](/source/Union_Stock_Yards).[2][3] At the Union Stock Yards, he would quickly become a successful buyer.[2] He would later become a [cement](/source/Cement) contractor.[3] He would become a prominent [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) politician, becoming the party's leader in Chicago's 32nd ward.[2][3] Ryan was a charter member of the Englewood Council of the [Knights of Columbus](/source/Knights_of_Columbus).[3] He also was a 4th degree member of the LaSalle Assembly, a member of the St. Bernard's Holy Name Society, and a member of the [Catholic Order of Foresters](/source/Catholic_Order_of_Foresters).[3] In 1912, there was a split in the local Democratic Party, with those allied with [Roger C. Sullivan](/source/Roger_C._Sullivan) and [Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne](/source/Edward_Fitzsimmons_Dunne) being divided against those who were allied with [Carter Harrison IV](/source/Carter_Harrison_IV) and [William Randolph Hearst](/source/William_Randolph_Hearst). Ryan allied himself with Harrison and Hearst.[4] ### Cook County Board of Commissioners Ryan served on the [Cook County Board of Commissioners](/source/Cook_County_Board_of_Commissioners) for nine years.[2] He was elected to the board as a member from the city of Chicago in 1914.[5] He would be reelected as a commissioner in 1918[6] and 1922.[7] Ryan was a leading figure in the early development of the [Forest Preserve District of Cook County](/source/Forest_Preserve_District_of_Cook_County).[3] After the 1921 death in office of board president [Peter Reinberg](/source/Peter_Reinberg), Ryan was selected to finish his term as board president.[3][8] He formally assumed the office on February 26, 1921.[2] He had been selected unanimously by the members of the board.[9] He served until the end of Reinberg's term in December 1922. During his tenure of board president, the county led United States counties in road paving, and the county built a new juvenile home.[2] [Anton J. Cermak](/source/Anton_J._Cermak) was chosen for the 1922 Democratic nomination for county board president over Ryan when the [Democratic Party of Cook County](/source/Democratic_Party_of_Cook_County) organization selected their [slate](/source/Slate_(elections)), a move that Parke Brown of the *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)* attributed to Ryan's "alliance with [Thompsonism](/source/William_Hale_Thompson)".[10] ### Death On May 26, 1923, Ryan was hospitalized after suffering a "stroke of apoplexy".[3][9] Ryan died June 12, 1923, at the [University of Chicago Medical Center](/source/University_of_Chicago_Medical_Center).[3] He was 61 years old.[2] Ryan was survived by his wife, Alice, five sons, and a daughter.[3] He was buried at Chicago's [Mount Olivet Cemetery](/source/Mount_Olivet_Cemetery_(Chicago)).[3] [Dan Ryan Jr.](/source/Dan_Ryan_Jr.), Ryan's own son, was elected to fill his seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.[11] In 1924, the Beverly Hills preserve of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County was renamed "Daniel Ryan Woods" after him.[12] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Cook County, Illinois - Secretary of the Board"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201031152635/https://legacy.cookcountyil.gov/secretary/past_presidents.htm). *legacy.cookcountyil.gov*. Office of the Secretary to the Board of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Archived from [the original](https://legacy.cookcountyil.gov/secretary/past_presidents.htm) on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-Burial1_2-8) ["Burial Service for Daniel Ryan to be Saturday"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94563091/chicago-tribune/). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. June 14, 1923. p. 10. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-obit1_3-11) ["County Commissioner Dan Ryan Dies"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4472131/suburbanite-economist/). *Suburbanite Economist*. June 15, 1923. p. 16. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Sullivan Hosts Sing About Foes"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102925812/sullivan-hosts-sing-about-foes/). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. April 16, 1912. p. 7. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Cook County and Chicago Election Results. (Incomplete Returns.)"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102924775/cook-county-and-chicago-election/). *[The Day Book](/source/The_Day_Book)*. November 4, 1914. p. 26. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Probable Winners As Indicated by the Latest Returns"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102925042/probable-winners/). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. November 6, 1918. p. 3. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Result of Tuesday's Election"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102925187/result-of-tuesdays-election/). *Suburbanite Economist*. November 10, 1922. p. 8. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Eaglets"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102925307/eaglets/). *[Chicago Eagle](/source/Chicago_Eagle)*. March 25, 1922. p. 4. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Stroke_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Stroke_9-1) ["Daniel Ryan of County Board Suffers Stroke"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102925415/daniel-ryan-of-county-board-suffers/). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. May 27, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Brown, Parke (February 3, 1922). ["Democrats Pick County Slate; Discord Fades"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102925537/democrats-pick-county-slate-discord/). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. p. 5. Retrieved May 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Daniel Ryan Dies; Leader in Illinois; President of Cook County Board of Commissioners -- In Politics 37 Years"](https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/09/archives/daniel-ryan-dies-leader-in-illinois-president-of-cook-county-board.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. April 9, 1961. p. 86. Retrieved August 7, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Dan Ryan Woods"](https://fpdcc.com/places/locations/dan-ryan-woods/). *Forest Preserves of Cook County*. Retrieved August 9, 2021. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Daniel Ryan Sr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ryan_Sr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ryan_Sr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.