Perry T. Ryan
Encyclopedia
Perry T. Ryan is a Kentucky
lawyer
who writes books on American history. Ryan has authored a total of eight books, including The Last Public Execution in America (1992), the story of Rainey Bethea
, who was legally hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky
in 1936. This book was featured on ABC’s World News Tonight (Peter Jennings
), on ABC's 20/20 (short note by Barbara Walters
), on National Public Radio, and on the History Channel
. In 1989, Ryan completed Legal Lynching: The Plight of Sam Jennings, which chronicled a 1932 Kentucky hanging of a black man accused of the rape of a white woman. Ryan also wrote A Biography of Maurice F. O’Connell: The Story of An American Hero (1996), which celebrated the life of an American soldier of the 29th Infantry Division
, who died during the liberation of France
in World War II
. This book was translated into French (1998) and is now used in the public schools of France to teach youngsters about the American contribution to the liberation of their country during the war. Ryan’s other books include four genealogies and a church history. He utilizes an expository writing style designed for clarity. He was appointed an Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky in 1988.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who writes books on American history. Ryan has authored a total of eight books, including The Last Public Execution in America (1992), the story of Rainey Bethea
Rainey Bethea
Rainey Bethea was the last person to be publicly executed in the United States. Bethea, who was a black man, confessed to the rape and murder of a 70-year-old white woman named Lischia Edwards, and after being convicted of her rape, he was publicly hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky...
, who was legally hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
in 1936. This book was featured on ABC’s World News Tonight (Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings
Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM was a Canadian American journalist and news anchor. He was the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer...
), on ABC's 20/20 (short note by Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
), on National Public Radio, and on the History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
. In 1989, Ryan completed Legal Lynching: The Plight of Sam Jennings, which chronicled a 1932 Kentucky hanging of a black man accused of the rape of a white woman. Ryan also wrote A Biography of Maurice F. O’Connell: The Story of An American Hero (1996), which celebrated the life of an American soldier of the 29th Infantry Division
U.S. 29th Infantry Division
The 29th Infantry Division is an infantry division of the United States Army based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It is a formation of the United States Army National Guard and contains units from Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina....
, who died during the liberation of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This book was translated into French (1998) and is now used in the public schools of France to teach youngsters about the American contribution to the liberation of their country during the war. Ryan’s other books include four genealogies and a church history. He utilizes an expository writing style designed for clarity. He was appointed an Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky in 1988.