David Ryan died on December 25, 2003.
Obituary from the Gay City News
For those with a NYT subscription, this NYT article may also be of interest.
Remembering David Ryan
My first contact with David was a blistering letter from him in 1993, chastising me in the strongest possible terms for accepting an award from the Boy Scouts. He’d read about it in the Carleton Voice, our quarterly alumni magazine. He was appalled that the president of his college would accept an award from an organization that discriminated against gay men and boys-and he drew some strong conclusions about me and about Carleton. All those who knew David would recognize the passion that he conveyed. I wrote a rather long letter back to David. I talked about my own background, about the progressive attitude of the Boy Scout Council of which we’re a part on matters of sexual orientation, and I told him what we’d been doing at Carleton. I also mentioned the adverse mail I’d received when we had introduced a gay and lesbian breakfast gathering at alumni reunions. I told him I hoped he’d get involved and see what we were doing, and even help us out. Well-David made some inquiries among some other gay alumni, and I guess we passed. He began to come to alumni events in New York, he and I had a couple of long and to me fascinating conversations over dinner here. I learned a lot about him and his life, and we shared a lot of ourselves with one another. And, when I was saying goodbye to Carleton two years ago, David volunteered to be the host for the event. Circle closed, friendship cemented. I shall always remember phoning David’s apartment and receiving his greeting in English and French. I will remember, too, the passion he brought to his interests and causes, including the one to save his neighborhood. I’ll remember hearing from him how his two French B&B guests had left on a beautiful morning on September 11th and never came back. Every encounter with David was memorable. In sports he’d be called an impact player. Lots of lives go un-remarked and un-noticed. But David I will always remember, and with great affection. Stephen R. Lewis, Jr. President Emeritus Carleton College
Comments
Remembering David Ryan I recently sorted through a pile of letters that I had received from family and friends when I was at Carleton. One surprise was a letter from David Ryan that he wrote in May 1969 when he was studying in both London and Cambridge. One part that resonated with me is this: "England has been very good for me. The people are gentle. I've met my share of them & have especially enjoyed London with them. Many, so many things, have happened to me that it's quite impossible to begin or even try to explain changes to you. I trust you'll save me some time next fall." I don't think we ever had that chat as I was off-campus in Fall 1969, and he was expelled during his senior year for being gay. The last time I saw David was in the mid-1970's when on a business trip to New York City. I read the Voice 2019 article about his reconciliation with Carleton due in-part to the efforts of OAC and President Steve Lewis and sadly about his death in 2003. I fondly remember David's intelligence, wit and gentleness.
- Beth Lewis 1971
Those with a NYT subscription may want to read this article about David Ryan.