Джеймс Э. Райан: Американ заңгері мен саяхатшысы (1946-2022)

American lawyer and politician (1946–2022)

James E. Ryan (February 21, 1946 – June 12, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician who served two four year terms as Illinois Attorney General. A career Republican, he received his party's nomination and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Illinois against Rod Blagojevich in 2002.

Ryan was born in Chicago on February 21, 1946 and grew up in the suburb of Villa Park, Illinois. His father, Edward Ryan, was a construction worker while his mother was an Italian immigrant housewife. He attended a Benedictine run high school, Saint Procopius Academy (now Benet Academy). After eight years in private practice, Ryan ran against Fitzsimmons again in the 1984 election, and defeated him in the Republican primary.

Ryan first ran for Illinois Attorney General in 1990, but was defeated by the Democrat, Roland Burris. He ran again four years later and won. Ryan's most notable accomplishment as Illinois Attorney General was his $9.1 billion settlement from tobacco companies. He was the last Republican to serve as Illinois attorney general.

In 2002, Ryan was the Republican candidate for governor of Illinois, defeating two other candidates for the Republican nomination. However, as an incumbent member of the state government, his campaign was negatively affected by scandals engulfing the administration of outgoing Governor George Ryan (no relation). but he eventually lost the Republican primary to State Senator Bill Brady, coming in fourth in a field of seven candidates. He was on the receiving end of a great deal of controversy for his conduct in the erroneous prosecution of Rolando Cruz and Alex Hernandez in the Jeanine Nicarico murder case.

After the 2002 elections, Ryan returned to his alma mater, Benedictine University, where he was named a Distinguished Fellow and taught political science and criminal justice courses. In 2005, he established the Center for Civic Leadership at Benedictine.

Ryan and his wife, Marie, had six children. In January 1997, the youngest of Jim and Marie Ryan's six children, 12 year old Anne Marie, collapsed and died of a brain tumor. In October 1997, Marie Ryan suffered what appeared to be a near fatal heart attack as the couple walked near their home;