Ellis Ryan

Ellis W. Ryan

• School Ohio State University

• Born June 7, 1904 in Cleveland, OH USA
• Died August 11, 1966 in Fort Lauderdale, FL USA

Biographical Information

Ellis Ryan was the principal owner of the Cleveland Indians from 1949 to 1952. On November 21, 1949, he headed a local syndicate group that purchased the team from Bill Veeck for $2.2 million. While he was named team President, he quickly installed former major league slugger Hank Greenberg as General Manager, and Greenberg took care of the day-to-day running of the team. However, in 1952, displeased with a drop in attendance in spite of a successful season on the field, he decided to make a number of cost-cutting moves, including trimming personnel and most of the team's farm system. Greenberg opposed these moves, and the conflict reached the board of directors, which sided with the former player. At that point, Ryan decided to bail out, selling his shares. Greenberg became a part owner, and Myron H. Wilson succeeded him as team principal.

In 1950, he was part of the four-person committee that selected a successor to outgoing Commissioner Happy Chandler, whose contract was not renewed. The committee eventually settled on National League President Ford Frick.

He was later one of the owners of the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, before they were sold to Art Modell in 1961, and of the minor league Cleveland Barons hockey team.

Before the purchase, Ryan had been a successful insurance broker, owning the largest agency in northwestern Ohio.

Related Sites

• Cleveland Guardians team ownership history