Leo J. Ryan Award

The Leo J. Ryan Award was established by the Leo J. Ryan Education Foundation in honor of Congressman Leo J. Ryan; the first and only United States Congressman to be killed in the line of duty. He was assassinated in Guyana, while investigating Jonestown and The Peoples Temple. Ryan was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. The Foundation was originally titled "Cult Info", and changed its name in honor of the congressman in 1999. It is based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The first award was given in 1981.

Award recipients

Description

Prior to the establishment of the Foundation, Margaret Singer was given the "Leo J. Ryan Memorial Award" in 1978, for research on cults, from Citizens Freedom Foundation.

Recipients

Recipients of the award include:

  • 1981 - Howard L. Lasher, member, New York State Assembly
  • 1982 - Rabbi Maurice Davis
  • 1983 - Rev. Kent Burtner, O.P.
  • 1984 - Ronald Enroth, Ph.D.
  • 1985 - John Gordon Clark, M.D.
  • 1986 - Gabe Cazares, former mayor, Clearwater, Florida
  • 1987 - Robert Lifton, M.D.
  • 1988 - Sandy Andron, Ed.D.
  • 1989 - Bill Wasmuth
  • 1990 - Louis Jolyon West, M.D.
  • 1991 - Robert W. Lobsinger, Publisher, Newkirk Herald Journal
  • 1992 - Richard Behar, journalist, author
  • 1993 - Maynard Bernstein
  • 1994 - Patricia Ryan, daughter of Congressman Ryan
  • 1995 - Michael Langone, Ph.D.
  • 1996 - Cynthia Kisser, head of the Old Cult Awareness Network
  • 1997, 1998 - No award given out.
  • 1999 - Bill Goldberg & Lorna Goldberg
  • 2000 - Flo Conway & Jim Siegelman
  • 2001 - Bob Minton

See also

  • John G. Clark Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Cultic Studies
Leo J. Ryan award
Congressman Ryan