William Ryan (Canadian politician)

William Ryan
Member of Parliament
for St. John—Albert
In office
October 1935 – January 1938
Preceded byMurray MacLaren
Succeeded byAllan McAvity
Personal details
Born
William Michael Ryan

(1887-11-22)22 November 1887
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Died4 January 1938(1938-01-04) (aged 50)
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)Mary Alice Duston
m. 12 June 1918[1]
Professionbarrister, journalist

William Michael Ryan (22 November 1887 – 4 January 1938) was a Liberal party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Saint John, New Brunswick and became a barrister and journalist.

Ryan attended University of St. Joseph's College where he earned a Master of Arts degree, then King College Law School where he earned a Bachelor of Civil Law. He became a journalist for New Brunswick newspaper the Telegraph-Journal and Regina Leader.[1]

He was first elected to Parliament at the St. John—Albert riding in the 1935 general election after unsuccessful campaigns there in 1926 and 1930. Ryan died in Saint John on 4 January 1938 before completing his term in the 18th Canadian Parliament, on the same day that another House of Commons member, George Perley, died.[2][3]


1935 Canadian federal election: Saint John—Rothesay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Ryan 15,125 48.0 +13.9
Conservative Douglas King Hazen 11,643 36.9 -19.0
Reconstruction Paul Cross 4,094 13.0
Independent Liberal Howe Cowan 672 2.1
Total valid votes 31,534 100.0

Note: popular vote is compared to the party's total share of the popular vote in the 1930 general election.


1930 Canadian federal election: Saint John—Rothesay
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Conservative Murray MacLaren 16,454 33.0 Green tickY
Conservative Thomas Bell 16,395 32.9 Green tickY
Liberal Allan McAvity 8,595 17.3
Liberal William Ryan 8,371 16.8
Total valid votes 49,815 100.0

Total Conservative vote: 32,849, or 65.9% of the total, an increase of 4.2% from the 1926 general election.
Total Liberal vote: 16,966, or 34.1%, a decrease of 4.2% from the 1926 general election.

1926 Canadian federal election: St. John—Albert
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Conservative Murray MacLaren 12,441 31.0 Green tickY
Conservative Thomas Bell 12,310 30.7 Green tickY
Liberal William Michael Ryan 8,007 20.0
Liberal Robert Thomas Hayes 7,356 18.3
Total valid votes 40,114 100.0%

Total Conservative vote: 24,751, or 61.7% of the total, a decrease of 0.2% from the 1925 general election.
Total Liberal vote: 15,363, or 38.3% of the total, an increase of 0.2% from the 1925 general election.

  1. ^ a b Normandin, A.L. (1936). Canadian Parliamentary Guide.
  2. ^ The Canadian Press (5 January 1938). "Dominion Parliament Loses Two Members In One Day". The Globe and Mail. p. 11.
  3. ^ The Canadian Press (5 January 1938). "William M. Ryan; Member of Canadian House of Commons and a Barrister". New York Times.