Ryan, James J. (James Jay), 1903-1973.

James Jay Ryan, B.S. (1925) University of Iowa, M.S. (1929) University of Pittsburgh. Professor mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota (1931-1963). Best known for his inventions of the flight data recorder and the retractable seat belt.

James Ryan was born on 27 November 1903 in LeClaire, Iowa. In 1925 he received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa, and in 1929, his M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, doing his graduate work at Stanford University. Ryan came to the University of Minnesota as an assistant professor in mechanical engineering in 1931, being promoted to associate professor in 1940, and full professor in 1950.

Concerned about automobile safety, in 1949 Ryan began crashing cars into walls while his students observed, to complete his own testing in auto safety experiments. As a result, he invented the retractable seat belt, which he patented in 1963. Although nicknamed "Crash" Ryan, he was never injured in the experiments, and federal government researchers frequently consulted him on research. He also invented the flight data recorder, or "black box," patented in 1960, and now required on all commercial airlines. He conducted experiments under grants from the Office of Naval research, the Naval Medical Research Institute, the National Research Council, the United States Air Force, and the United States Public Health Service.

In 1963, Ryan retired because of a rheumatic heart condition. He died on 31 May 1973 at the age of 69.

From the guide to the James Jay Ryan papers, 1933-1973, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])