About Mike Ryerson
Lived 1940 – 2015 (aged 74). Mike Ryerson was an American editor, journalist and historian.
Michael Frederick Ryerson (May 7, 1940 – January 6, 2015) was an American historian and journalist who is best known for being the photographer of the Expose Yourself to Art poster which portrays Bud Clark, future mayor of Portland, Oregon, flashing a bronze nude sculpture. Ryerson sold over 250,000 posters by 1984, just six years after the poster was created. Profits were used to support the Northwest Examiner newspaper, then called the Northwest Neighbor, which was started by Ryerson and Clark.
Ryerson was a close friend and advisor to Clark and is often credited with being the reason Clark won the mayoral election. Ryerson attended Jefferson High School and graduated in 1958 before joining the United States Navy for two years. He married Lee Dunaway and raised a family primarily in Northwest Portland.
Ryerson died on January 6, 2015, while visiting family in Texas.
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Important facts
People in Mike Ryerson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Mike Ryerson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mike Ryerson?
American historian and journalist
When was Mike Ryerson born?
Mike Ryerson was born on 7 May 1940 in Portland.
When did Mike Ryerson die?
Mike Ryerson died on 6 January 2015.
What was Mike Ryerson's occupation?
Mike Ryerson was an editor, journalist and historian.
What nationality was Mike Ryerson?
Mike Ryerson was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mike Ryerson. https://biography.guide/mike-ryerson/
MLA: "Mike Ryerson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mike-ryerson/.
Chicago: "Mike Ryerson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mike-ryerson/.
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