May Louise (Alexander) Ryburn was born in Chicago in 1925. She spent her adolescence living in Miami, Florida and attended college at the Florida State College for Women from 1943-1947. She worked as a journalist and editor for a variety of publications, including the Miami News and the Journal of Lifetime Living. After completing a Master's Degree at the University of Miami in 1962, she taught English at the College of DuPage in DuPage, Illinois and completed coursework for a PhD at the University of Chicago. She married James Ryburn in 1969, and retired from teaching in 1985. After her retirement, she traveled frequently in the U.S. and Canada. Ms. Ryburn died in 2003.
From the guide to the May Ryburn Papers, 1880-2003, 1925-2003, (Repository Unknown)