Irene E. Ryan

Who was Irene E. Ryan?

Irene Esther Ryan was a geologist, aviator, and legislator during Alaska's history as both a United States territory and as a U.S. state. She was a member of the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives and of the Alaska State Senate. She was instrumental in the creation of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which helped insure state revenue from oil and gas exploration done by outside entities. Ryan was involved with the creation of the Anchorage International Airport. She was the first female pilot to solo in the Territory of Alaska, and the first female to earn a geology degree from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Ryan was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.