Thomas C. Ryan established this fund as a gift to his wife, Andrea, in memory of her late parents, Einar and Lois Rygg. The fund supports education with emphasis on art and journalism.
Unfortunately, little is known about the Ryggs.
Thomas was one of the original founders of the Downtown office of Kidder Peabody & Company and was senior vice president at the time of his death on May 2, 1993. He was 65. Thomas' wife, Andrea, died in April 2019.
In the brokerage business throughout his career, Thomas was a principal with the former Moore Leonard & Lynch and the former Arthurs Lestrange & Short. A well-known supporter of La Roche College, he served as a college trustee for 23 years. He was also chairman of the capital campaign to build the College Center.
Thomas played an active role in many local civic organizations: the Arsenal Family & Children's Center, Western Pennsylvania Heart Association, United Way, Boy Scouts of America, WQED and Phipps Conservatory, to name but a few.
In 1994, the fund awarded a grant to Mon Valley Media for the production of an educational documentary film about the 1892 Homestead Steel Strike. Locally produced and filmed, it was distributed to schools, universities and historical societies.
Type of Fund
- Field of Interest