Patrick J. Ryan (chaplain)


Patrick J. Ryan

Portrait of CH (MG) Ryan, c. 1956
Birth namePatrick James Ryan
Born(1902-12-03)December 3, 1902
Manannah, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJune 5, 1978(1978-06-05) (aged 75)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried
Calvary Cemetery, Litchfield, Minnesota
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1928–1958
RankMajor general
Service number0-17363
CommandsU.S. Army Chaplain Corps (CCH)
Battles/wars
Awards
Alma mater
ChurchCatholic (Latin Church)
Orders
Ordination1927 (priesthood)
by Austin Dowling
Rank

Patrick James Ryan (December 3, 1902 – June 5, 1978) was an American major general and Catholic priest who served as the 9th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1954 to 1958. Only briefly a parish priest after his ordination for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul in 1927, he entered the Army Reserve in 1928. During World War II, he served in North Africa and Italy, where he earned numerous awards, including the Order of the British Empire. After the war, he held various roles at the Pentagon and at the Sixth Army in San Francisco before becoming Chief of Chaplains in 1954. At the time of his appointment he was the youngest man to ever hold the role, at 51 years old.