Martin A. Ryerson

Martin Antoine Ryerson (1856–1932) was an American lawyer, businessman, philanthropist and art collector. Heir to a considerable fortune, he was a lumber manufacturer and corporate director. He became the richest man in Chicago by the age of 36. A long-time trustee of the University of Chicago, he made large charitable contributions for the construction of buildings on campus. He bequeathed his extensive art collection to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Early life and education Martin A. Ryerson was born in 1856 in Michigan. His father, Martin L. Ryerson, was a lumber baron in Michigan forests who invested in real estate in Downtown Chicago.

Career Ryerson started his career as a lawyer. In 1880, he joined the family business, working for his father, who owned the only remaining lumberyard in Chicago in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. As a lumber manufacturer, Ryerson was Chicago's richest man by the age of thirty-six. Northern Trust, and the Elgin National Watch Company.

Philanthropy Ryerson served as the president of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago from 1892 to 1922. Ryerson resided at 4851 South Drexel Boulevard in Chicago.

Death and legacy Ryerson died on August 11, 1932, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Upon his death, he bequeathed the entire sum to charities, family members and former employees. He also bequeathed $25,000 to Harvard University, $25,000 to Kenyon College, and $25,000 to the Little Sisters of the Poor. Edward W. Forbes served as the Martin A. Ryerson Professor in the Fine Arts at Harvard University from 1935 to 1944.