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{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Short description|American designer (1926–1991)}}
{{About|the designer|other uses|Jack Ryan (disambiguation){{!}}Jack Ryan}}
{{About|the designer|other uses|Jack Ryan (disambiguation){{!}}Jack Ryan}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| birth_place =
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|08|13|1926|12|12}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|08|13|1926|12|12}}
| death_place = [[Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Bel-Air, Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| death_cause = Suicide by gun
| occupation = Designer
| occupation = Designer
| spouse = {{plainlist|
| spouse = Barbara Ryan<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>{{marriage|[[Zsa Zsa Gabor]]|1975|1976|end=divorced}}<br>Linda Henson<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>Gari Hardy Lansing<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 1981; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)<br>{{marriage|Magda Ryan<br>|1984}}
* {{marriage|Barbara Harris|August 21, 1950|1971|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Zsa Zsa Gabor]]|January 21, 1975|August 24, 1976|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Linda Henson|March 3, 1979|March 19, 1981|end=died}}
* {{marriage|Gari Hardy Lansing|July 18, 1981|1985|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Magda Orzechowski|August 16, 1985}}
}}
}}
}}


'''John W. Ryan''' (November 12, 1926 – August 13, 1991) was an American designer. Ryan worked at toy company [[Mattel]] for 20 years, becoming the company's vice president of research and development. There he was responsible for the [[Barbie]] doll, [[Hot Wheels]], and [[Chatty Cathy]].<ref name="mentalfloss">{{cite web | website=[[Mental Floss]] | url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/archives/archive2002-12-27.htm | title=Fact of the Day - Before he worked on the original Barbie doll, Jack Ryan designed missiles for the Pentagon | date= 27 December 2002 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051028040705/http://www.mentalfloss.com/archives/archive2002-12-27.htm |archive-date=28 October 2005 | publisher=Mental Floss, LLC}}</ref> He was the sixth husband of actress [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]].<ref name="nytimes_obit">{{cite newspaper | title=Jack Ryan Dies at 65; Designer of Barbie Doll |publisher=[[The Associated Press]] | via=[[The New York Times]] | date=21 August 1991 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/21/obituaries/jack-ryan-dies-at-65-designer-of-barbie-doll.html}}</ref>
'''Jack W. Ryan''' (November 12, 1926 – August 13, 1991) was an American designer. Ryan worked at toy company [[Mattel]] for 20 years, becoming the company's vice-president of research and development and subsequently working as a consultant. He was responsible for the [[Barbie]] doll, [[Hot Wheels]] and [[Chatty Cathy]]. He was the sixth husband of actress [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]].<ref name="nytimes_obit">{{cite news | title=Jack Ryan Dies at 65; Designer of Barbie Doll |agency=[[The Associated Press]] | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=August 21, 1991 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/21/obituaries/jack-ryan-dies-at-65-designer-of-barbie-doll.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815112945/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/21/obituaries/jack-ryan-dies-at-65-designer-of-barbie-doll.html | archivedate=August 15, 2010 | url-status=live}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
Ryan graduated from [[Yale University]], after which he worked at aerospace company [[Raytheon]] as an engineer, working on the [[AIM-7 Sparrow]] and [[MIM-23 Hawk]] missiles.<ref name="mentalfloss"/><ref name="nytimes_obit"/><ref name="people">{{cite magazine | title=Jack Ryan and Zsa Zsa: A Millionaire Inventor and His Hungarian Barbie Doll | author=Richard Warren Lewis | date=14 July 1975 | magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] | url=https://people.com/archive/jack-ryan-and-zsa-zsa-a-millionaire-inventor-and-his-hungarian-barbie-doll-vol-4-no-2/}}</ref>
Ryan graduated from [[Yale University]], after which he worked at aerospace company [[Raytheon]] as an engineer, working on the [[AIM-7 Sparrow]] and [[MIM-23 Hawk]] missiles.<ref name="nytimes_obit"/><ref name="people">{{cite magazine | title=Jack Ryan and Zsa Zsa: A Millionaire Inventor and His Hungarian Barbie Doll | author=Richard Warren Lewis | date=July 14, 1975 | magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] | url=https://people.com/archive/jack-ryan-and-zsa-zsa-a-millionaire-inventor-and-his-hungarian-barbie-doll-vol-4-no-2/}}</ref>


Mattel hired him for his "space-aged savvy" and knowledge of materials.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.salon.com/1997/11/26/26facts/ | title=The Skinny on Barbie - Essential facts about her checkered past | author1=Lori Leibovich | author2=Suzette Lalime | date=26 November 1997 | website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] | publisher=Salon Media Group}}</ref>
Mattel hired him for his "space-aged savvy" and knowledge of materials.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.salon.com/1997/11/26/26facts/ | title=The Skinny on Barbie - Essential facts about her checkered past | author1=Lori Leibovich | author2=Suzette Lalime | date=November 26, 1997 | website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]}}</ref>


In 1956, Mattel co-owner [[Ruth Handler]] returned from a European vacation with a German-designed [[Bild Lilli doll]]. She and Ryan worked on producing a similar [[fashion doll]] for the American market (the two later disputed which of them was chiefly responsible for the doll's design).<ref name="newyorker" />
In 1956, Mattel co-owner [[Ruth Handler]] returned from a European vacation with a German-designed [[Bild Lilli doll]]. She and Ryan worked on producing a similar [[fashion doll]] for the American market (the two later disputed which of them was chiefly responsible for the doll's design).<ref name="newyorker">{{cite magazine | title=When Barbie Went to War with Bratz | magazine=[[The New Yorker]] | author=Jill Lepore | author-link=Jill Lepore | date=January 22, 2018 | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/22/when-barbie-went-to-war-with-bratz}}</ref>


Ryan went on to lead Mattel's research and development department, with a research and development budget in 1962 of $1.5 million US dollars.<ref name="imagesofthechild">{{cite book |editor1-last=Eiss |editor1-first=Harry Edwin |title=Images of the child |date=1994 |publisher=Bowling Green State University Popular Press |location=Bowling Green, OH |isbn=0879726547 |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R6d-0zUTtbsC&dq=%22jack%20ryan%22%20%22Chatty%20Cathy%22%20voice&pg=PA195}}</ref> He developed Chatty Cathy, Ken, Hot Wheels and Larry the Lion and was involved in creating the voice systems for Chatty Cathy, Barbie and Larry the Lion.<ref name="ToyMonster">{{cite book |last1=Oppenheimer |first1=Jerry |title=Toy monster : the big, bad world of Mattel |date=2009 |publisher=Wiley |location=Hoboken, N.J. |isbn=978-0470371268 |pages=4, 14}}</ref>
⚫
Ryan worked on the V-rroom! X-15 [[velocipede]] which was named after the [[North American X-15]] rocket-powered aircraft, and patented the V-RROOM! toy engines that simulated motorcycle engine sounds. He designed the mechanics of the Chatty Cathy dolls.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}


⚫
Ryan worked on the V-rroom! X-15 [[velocipede]] which was named after the [[North American X-15]] rocket-powered aircraft and patented the V-RROOM! toy engines that simulated motorcycle engine sounds.{{citation-needed|date=March 2022}}
Ryan's relationship with Mattel soured, and in 1980 he sued Mattel for royalties; the company settled out of court.<ref name="newyorker">{{cite magazine | title=When Barbie Went to War with Bratz | magazine=[[The New Yorker]] | author=[[Jill Lepore]] | date=22 January 2018 | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/22/when-barbie-went-to-war-with-bratz}}</ref>

Ryan's relationship with Mattel soured and in 1980 he sued Mattel for royalties; the company settled out of court.<ref name="newyorker" />


==Death==
==Death==
Ryan suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989; he died by gun suicide on August 13, 1991.<ref>The Toys that Made Us - Season 1 - Episode 2</ref><ref>{{cite newspaper | url=http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-19/news/mn-571_1_jack-ryan | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | title=Jack Ryan, 65; Toy Inventor, Missile Designer | date=19 August 1991 | author=Myrna Oliver}}</ref><ref name="nytimes_obit"/><ref name="newyorker" />
Ryan suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989; he died by [[Suicide by gun|gun suicide]] on August 13, 1991.<ref>The Toys that Made Us - Season 1 - Episode 2</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-19-mn-571-story.html | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | title=Jack Ryan, 65; Toy Inventor, Missile Designer | date=August 19, 1991 | author=Myrna Oliver}}</ref><ref name="nytimes_obit"/><ref name="newyorker" />


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
|-
!colspan="3" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| Husband of a Gabor Sister
{{s-bef | before= Joshua S. Cosden Jr.}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Zsa Zsa Gabor|Zsa Zsa]] - Sixth | years = January 21, 1975 – August 24, 1976 <br> Divorced}}
{{s-aft| after = Michael O'Hara}}
{{s-end}}


{{Barbie}}
{{Mattel}}
{{Mattel}}


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[[Category:20th-century American engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century American engineers]]
[[Category:Mattel people]]
[[Category:Mattel people]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in California]]
[[Category:Barbie]]

Latest revision as of 14:44, 24 December 2024

This article is about the designer. For other uses, see Jack Ryan.
Jack Ryan
Born(1926-11-12)November 12, 1926
DiedAugust 13, 1991(1991-08-13) (aged 64)
Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationDesigner
Spouses
Barbara Harris
​
​
(m. 1950; div. 1971)​
​
​
(m. 1975; div. 1976)​
Linda Henson
​
​
(m. 1979; died 1981)​
Gari Hardy Lansing
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 1985)​
Magda Orzechowski
​
(m. 1985)​

Jack W. Ryan (November 12, 1926 – August 13, 1991) was an American designer. Ryan worked at toy company Mattel for 20 years, becoming the company's vice-president of research and development and subsequently working as a consultant. He was responsible for the Barbie doll, Hot Wheels and Chatty Cathy. He was the sixth husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor.[1]

Career

[edit]

Ryan graduated from Yale University, after which he worked at aerospace company Raytheon as an engineer, working on the AIM-7 Sparrow and MIM-23 Hawk missiles.[1][2]

Mattel hired him for his "space-aged savvy" and knowledge of materials.[3]

In 1956, Mattel co-owner Ruth Handler returned from a European vacation with a German-designed Bild Lilli doll. She and Ryan worked on producing a similar fashion doll for the American market (the two later disputed which of them was chiefly responsible for the doll's design).[4]

Ryan went on to lead Mattel's research and development department, with a research and development budget in 1962 of $1.5 million US dollars.[5] He developed Chatty Cathy, Ken, Hot Wheels and Larry the Lion and was involved in creating the voice systems for Chatty Cathy, Barbie and Larry the Lion.[6]

Ryan worked on the V-rroom! X-15 velocipede which was named after the North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft and patented the V-RROOM! toy engines that simulated motorcycle engine sounds.[citation needed]

Ryan's relationship with Mattel soured and in 1980 he sued Mattel for royalties; the company settled out of court.[4]

Death

[edit]

Ryan suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989; he died by gun suicide on August 13, 1991.[7][8][1][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Jack Ryan Dies at 65; Designer of Barbie Doll". The New York Times. The Associated Press. August 21, 1991. Archived from the original on August 15, 2010.
  2. ^ Richard Warren Lewis (July 14, 1975). "Jack Ryan and Zsa Zsa: A Millionaire Inventor and His Hungarian Barbie Doll". People.
  3. ^ Lori Leibovich; Suzette Lalime (November 26, 1997). "The Skinny on Barbie - Essential facts about her checkered past". Salon.
  4. ^ a b c Jill Lepore (January 22, 2018). "When Barbie Went to War with Bratz". The New Yorker.
  5. ^ Eiss, Harry Edwin, ed. (1994). Images of the child. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p. 195. ISBN 0879726547.
  6. ^ Oppenheimer, Jerry (2009). Toy monster : the big, bad world of Mattel. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. pp. 4, 14. ISBN 978-0470371268.
  7. ^ The Toys that Made Us - Season 1 - Episode 2
  8. ^ Myrna Oliver (August 19, 1991). "Jack Ryan, 65; Toy Inventor, Missile Designer". Los Angeles Times.
Husband of a Gabor Sister
Preceded by
Joshua S. Cosden Jr.
 Zsa Zsa - Sixth
January 21, 1975 – August 24, 1976
Divorced 		Succeeded by
Michael O'Hara
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