Ryan Family Papers 1 (1915-1986), consisting of music manuscripts, lyrics and poetry, correspondence, news clippings, photographs, and a biographical documentation. Thomas Ryan (1872-1933) was born in Ireland and moved to the United States as an infant with his mother. He took up acting and singing, but embarked on a law career, studying in Torrington, Conn., and graduating from Yale Law School in 1897. In 1899, he pursued mining in Arizona, California, and Mexico. After his fortunes failed, he returned to the stage. In 1904, he came back to Torrington and again took up law, finally settling in Litchfield in 1905. He served one term as a probate judge in the 1910s. In 1895 he married Mary Kelley of Torrington. They had four children, Mary Gertrude, Catherine Edna, Margaret Agatha, and Frances Mary. He died in 1933. Agatha, as she was commonly known, and Gertrude attended college. Agatha worked in her father's law office, the probate court, an insurance office, and served as secretary to the superintendent of schools in Litchfield. Frances worked as the school nurse. The papers generally relate to Agatha (1900-1986) and Thomas. Agatha's papers include correspondence, some of it to her sister Frances. Agatha was concerned with political issues, and some of her correspondence was with U.S. representatives and senators, including such members of the Connecticut delegation as Ella Grasso, Abraham Ribicoff, and Lowell Weicker, and Sen. Edward Kennedy. Agatha's diaries from 1916 and 1920 are included in the papers. Thomas's papers consist of poems, lyrics, and music which he composed in the 1910s and 1920s. A photograph depicts him as five different people. There are also several items that provide biographical information and two 1929 letters from Alain White.