

Robert Alvis “Bobby” Ryan
September 17, 1883 - September 24, 1950
Robert Alvis Ryan was born September 7, 1883 to parents Capt. Alvis and Josephine H. Ryan. He was born in the first brick home built in Fort Worth. Robert received an education from the “old Fort Worth University”¹ , which was operational from 1881-1911.² The campus consisted of four buildings that spanned a 10 acre tract of land just south of Downtown.³ By 1915, the Fort Worth School District purchased the land and the buildings were later razed.⁴ Today, Trimble Technical High School sits on part of the land that belonged to the former university.
By trade, Robert was an architect which he did until his retirement in 1940.⁵ However, in his youth Robert was also known to perform on the stage doing comedic Vaudeville acts under the stage name of Bobby Ryan. Robert’s first marriage was to Effie Kratz. Effie also had ties to Vaudeville performing. They would have one daughter together in 1920, but by the early 1930’s their marriage ended in divorce. In 1933, Robert would remarry to Alene Smith in Carter County, Oklahoma.⁶ They would remain married until his death on September 24, 1950. Robert is buried in Pioneer Rest Cemetery near the grave of his mother and several half-siblings.
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[1] “Robert A. Ryan Funeral Will Be Held Tuesday.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Sept 1950, pg. 4.
[2] "Historical Statement". Annual Catalog - Methodist University of Oklahoma. July 1, 1915. p. 13. https://books.google.com/books?id=li5HAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA13 ; Accessed 22 Aug 2023.
[3] “Catalogue of Fort Worth University.” Keystone Printing Co, Fort Worth, Texas. Vol. 1905-1906, Pgs. [14]-15, https://archive.org/details/catalogueoffortw19fort_0/page/n15/mode/2up?view=theater ; Accessed 23 Aug 2023.
[4] “Fort Worth University.” Lost Colleges, N.D. https://www.lostcolleges.com/fort-worth-university ; Accessed 23 Aug 2023.
[5] “Robert A. Ryan Funeral Will Be Held Tuesday.” 1950.
[6] “Marriage Record: R.A. Ryan.” Ancestry.com. Oklahoma, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1890-1995, Carter County, 1931-1943, Pg. 89 ; Accessed 22 Aug 2023.

Block 4, Lot 85 [Explore the Map]