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John Henry Ryan (1865 - 1943) was a businessman, newspaperman, and state legislator in the U.S. state of Washington. [1] [2] He lived in Tacoma, Washington. He was a member of the NAACP. [3] He was elected as a member of three different political parties.
He and his wife published The Weekly and then The Forum newspapers. [4]
In 1889, William Owen Bush became the first African American to serve in Washington’s legislature, serving at its inaugural session. Charles Stokes was elected to the legislature in the early 1950s. [5]
He served in 1921 [6] and 1923. [7] He and other House members were included in a photo montage of members. [6] He wore glasses. [8]
He was the only African American serving in the Washington House of Representatives. He was in the Tacoma branch of the NAACP. He helped defeat a proposal for an anti-intermarriage bill. [9]
He was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. He was one of 12 children born to George R. and Mary Elizabeth (Gatliffe) Ryan. He married Ella Alexander. [2] She edited their newspaper The Forum. [2] She wrote an editorial against chain gang]]s. [1]
His grandmother was Cherokee. [1]
He compiled Ryan's Legislative Manual published in 1907. [1] He opposed a proposed bill to fingerprint vagrants. [1]
He changed his name to Senator J. H. Ryan. [1] He published Ryan's Weekly. [1]