USC Gould grad is honored to take the helm
Fred Ryan ’80, who helped launch Politico and worked for President Ronald Reagan after earning his law degree at USC, is the new publisher of the Washington Post.
Ryan takes the helm under the Post’s new owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who purchased the paper last year. Ryan’s appointment is the first major management change made by Bezos.
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| Fred Ryan '80 is the new publisher of The Washington Post |
"This is an incredibly exciting time for all of us in media,” said Ryan. “The Washington Post is a crown jewel, exemplifying the finest in editorial quality and journalistic values.”
As publisher of the Post, Ryan follows in the footsteps of several generations of the Graham family, including Katharine Graham, who oversaw the famed Watergate coverage that brought down President Richard Nixon.
“I am honored to follow four generations of Graham family leadership and thrilled with the opportunity to work with Jeff (Bezos) and the incredibly talented team at The Post," Ryan said.
Ryan was most recently president and chief operating officer of Allbritton Communications Company, which owns and operates television stations, newspapers, a cable news channel and websites. He was also president and chief executive officer of the Politiconewspaper and website. He sold his interest in the companies last month.
USC Gould Dean Robert K. Rasmussen said Ryan is a talented businessman and skilled attorney. “Fred has had a truly remarkable career, in both public service and the private sector. Talented lawyers are essential to our democracy, as is a free and robust press. I am confident that with Fred at the helm, one of our nation’s great newspapers will get even better.”
After graduating from USC Gould in 1980, Ryan took a job in President Ronald Reagan’s White House, where he was one the youngest staffers to hold a senior position in the West Wing.
“I met Ronald Reagan before he ran for president,” Ryan said in a 2009 USC Gould magazine story. “I was very impressed with him and volunteered on his campaign. After he won, he offered me a job, but he made it clear that he didn’t want people in the White House who were long-time bureaucrats. But over the years, he kept increasing my portfolio of responsibility.”
Ryan’s stint lasted long after Reagan’s two terms as president, continuing in California where Ryan helped establish the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library. He was not only a key adviser, but a cherished friend of Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
“One thing I loved about working for President Reagan is I never was bored. Not for one minute. Something was always unfolding. The same goes for the news business. A story breaks and then another and another. In the White House you work days and nights nonstop and the minute one project is over, you very quickly move onto the next thing.”
In 1988, President Reagan asked Ryan to follow him to California, where he was named Reagan’s chief in staff and was responsible for setting up his office, overseeing the opening of his library, and handling his speaking arrangements and book contracts.
“I got to be very close to President and Mrs. Reagan,” he said. “I spent a lot of time with him after he left office. I traveled around the world with him. When he died I was asked to be an honorary pallbearer. Working for Ronald Reagan is one of the greatest honors of my career and life.”
In 1995, Ryan moved back in Washington, D.C. to use his communications and political skills as president and chief operating officer of Allbritton Communications Company. He was part of a team that launched Politico news site in 2007.
“I’ve always had an interest in communications,” Ryan said. “I dealt a lot with the media in the White House. It’s not so different being on the other side. The same way a candidate is seeking to get a message out, we’re seeking readers of our newspaper and website, and trying to establish our brand. We aren’t as far apart as most people would think.”
*Photo courtesy of Linda Davidson/The Washington Post
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