Ryan, Abram Joseph
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Ryan, Abram Joseph
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Abram Joseph Ryan was a poet whose works helped to establish the Southern revisionist "Lost Cause" narrative, and who contributed funds to Loyola University Maryland that were used to award the Ryan Medal for academic achievement.
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Abram Ryan was born near Hagerstown, Maryland in 1838. The Ryan family later settled in Missouri, where Ryan was educated by Christian Brothers. In 1860, Ryan was ordained a Vincentian Catholic priest, although he left the order after only a few years. He then worked as a parish priest. During the Civil War, Ryan never officially enlisted with the Confederate army, but served at times as an unofficial chaplain to Confederate troops. Ryan gained a reputation for fiery preaching and pro-Confederate views, though he was not well-known as a poet until the 1865 publication of "The Conquered Banner." The poem, one of a dozen "patriotic" poems by Ryan, became one of the foundational texts of the Lost Cause ideology. Ryan also served as the editor of The Banner of the South, a weekly newspaper, and The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger, a New Orleans Catholic newspaper. Through these newspapers, Ryan voiced his opposition to Reconstruction, including voting and civil rights for Black Americans. In 1880, Ryan traveled to Baltimore to work with a publisher on the second edition of his poetry volume. He stayed with the Jesuits of Loyola College. In a show of appreciation for their hospitality, Ryan donated to Loyola the $300 he was paid for a December 17 poetry reading. These funds were used to create the Ryan Medal, awarded to students for achievement in various disciplines until at least 1970. Ryan's allegiance to the Lost Cause continued until his death on April 22, 1886.
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5 February 1838
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22 April 1886
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The Banner of the South (weekly newspaper)
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The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger (weekly newspaper)
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O'Connell, David. Furl that Banner: The life of Abram J. Ryan, Poet-Priest of the South. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2006.
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