Jack Ryan (designer): Difference between revisions

Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan
Born	November 12, 1926
Died	August 13, 1991 (aged 64); Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Designer
Spouses	; Barbara Harris (m. 1950; div. 1971) ; Zsa Zsa Gabor (m. 1975; div. 1976) ; Linda Henson (m. 1979; died 1981) ; Gari Hardy Lansing (m. 1981; div. 1985) ; Magda Orzechowski (m. 1985)

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 21:47, 18 December 2024

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 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

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

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

References

^ ^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.
^ Richard Warren Lewis (July 14, 1975). "Jack Ryan and Zsa Zsa: A Millionaire Inventor and His Hungarian Barbie Doll". People.
^ Lori Leibovich; Suzette Lalime (November 26, 1997). "The Skinny on Barbie - Essential facts about her checkered past". Salon.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jill Lepore (January 22, 2018). "When Barbie Went to War with Bratz". The New Yorker.
^ Eiss, Harry Edwin, ed. (1994). Images of the child. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p. 195. ISBN 0879726547.
^ Oppenheimer, Jerry (2009). Toy monster : the big, bad world of Mattel. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. pp. 4, 14. ISBN 978-0470371268.
^ The Toys that Made Us - Season 1 - Episode 2
^ 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

[nytimes_obit-1] "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.

[people-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.

[newyorker-4] Jill Lepore (January 22, 2018). "When Barbie Went to War with Bratz". The New Yorker.

[imagesofthechild-5] Eiss, Harry Edwin, ed. (1994). Images of the child. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p. 195. ISBN 0879726547.

[ToyMonster-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.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 }}
-'''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, 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>
+'''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 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==