Driven to Serve

Fred Ryan

10.15.20

Before becoming publisher of The Washington Post, Fred Ryan served as chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan (1989–1995). As a young man, Ryan had a strong desire to work in public service, but he never imagined he would work in the White House. Ryan believes this desire to serve is tied to the principles of America's founding fathers: successful citizens should take time to serve their country, and then return to private life. We are reminded of that great Roman leader, Cincinnatus.

Driven to Serve

Summary:

Before becoming publisher of The Washington Post, Fred Ryan served as chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan (1989–1995). As a young man, Ryan had a strong desire to work in public service, but he never imagined he would work in the White House. Ryan believes this desire to serve is tied to the principles of America’s founding fathers: successful citizens should take time to serve their country, and then return to private life. We are reminded of that great Roman leader, Cincinnatus.

Thuy

Did you have ambitions to work in the White House?
Fred_Ryan

Fred Ryan

I wanted to do something in the way of government service, either maybe running for office at some point or working in some government capacity. I really think everybody has an obligation to do something, defend our country in the military, serve in some public service role, even if it's local, being involved in local community, doing something. And that's something that I wanted to do and I was able to accomplish it. I wasn't aspiring and didn't think I was going to be working in the White House at any point in my life. But when the opportunity came up, I took it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thuy

Where does that come from? That desire to serve in some capacity?
Fred_Ryan

Fred Ryan

I think it's something that we all have that our country depends on, people willing to do something. And if you go all the way back to the earliest days of our history the founding fathers, they had this model that you might be successful in business, you might be successful in another area, but then you would take some time, you would run for office, you would serve, you do your term, and then you would return and then it would be somebody else's turn after that.
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