Tom Ryman

Thomas "Tom" Green Ryman (October 12, 1841 – December 23, 1904), known as Capt. Tom Ryman, was a riverboat captain and riverboat company owner and businessman from Tennessee. He built the Union Gospel Tabernacle, later known as the Ryman Auditorium, a live performance venue and National Historic Landmark in Nashville, which is named in his honor.

Early life Ryman was born south of Nashville, the oldest male child of Capt. John Ryman and Sarah "Sallie" Ryman's five children, three older sisters and a younger brother.

Career In 1864, Ryman followed his father into the riverboat business and bought his first steamer. He started three river businesses that he consolidated into the Ryman Line in 1885. At its peak, his Nashville-based fleet consisted of more than 30 boats, making him one of the most successful steamboat men on the Cumberland River. Ryman had attended one of Jones' 1885 revivals with the intent to heckle, but was instead converted into a devout Christian, and soon after pledged to build the tabernacle.

Construction took seven years to complete and cost . However, Jones held his first revival at the site on May 25, 1890, with only the building's foundation and walls standing. thumb Personal life In 1869, Ryman married Mary Elizabeth Ryman (née Baugh). They had seven children.

Death and funeral Ryman died in 1904 at his home in Nashville. He asked all who agreed with the suggestion to rise. According to The Nashville American's December 26, 1904, account of the service, "as one person, the thousands who heard him were on their feet." Tom Ryman's final resting place is in Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville).