Ä¢¹½´«Ã½

Ryan was one of Ottawa's most successful businesswomen and one of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s most generous benefactors.

She was born Kathleen Whitton in Renfrew, Ontario and graduated from Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s with an honours degree in Economics in 1926. She married fellow Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s graduate Frank Ryan (BA'27), who became a prominent radio broadcaster after working at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s radio station CFRC. He was also the owner and founder of CFRA radio station in Ottawa.

She took over his business interests after his death in 1964 and rapidly developed a reputation as one of the city's most astute business leaders. In 1976, she established the Kathleen Ryan Foundation at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s to provide for the preservation of buildings in the Medical Quadrangle.

The fund helped to renovate the New Medical Building into a home for the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s University Archives, which was renamed Kathleen Ryan Hall in her honour in 1982. She also gave a significant grant to CFRC Radio in 1977 to help it establish a stereo signal.

Kathleen Ryan served as a University Councillor for many years. Her sister, Charlotte Whitton, was also a Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s alumna and became Canada's first female mayor when elected in Ottawa in 1950.