This is an Original and Authentic 1892 Bond signed by Ryan as Secretary — it is 100% genuine and original. Thomas Fortune Ryan in the 1910s. November 23, 1928 (aged 77). Although he lived in New York City. For much of his adult career, Ryan was perhaps the greatest benefactor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond. In the decades before the Great Depression. In addition to paying for schools, hospitals and other charitable works, Ryan’s donations paid for the construction of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Ryan also made significant donations to Catholic institutions in New York City and Washington, D.