Remembering Calvin N. Ryan-Mosley

 Prominent Alumnus Passes

By: James M. Sumner, G'70

One of Springfield's most distinguished and accomplished alumni, Dr. Calvin N. Ryan-Mosley, G'70, passed away March 26, 2025. Cal was born in Bend, Oregon in 1944, and raised in Burns, Oregon.

Cal spent his youthful summers hunting and fishing with his extended family, and any free time playing sports-one of the great loves of his life.

Cal was a lifelong athlete and the first in his family to go to college, enrolling at Pacific University (Oregon) in 1962, where he played football, basketball and baseball, just as he had at Burns High. His Burns roots were deep and he was honored as the Burns High Alumnus of 1960s. At Pacific Cal was an honorable mention All America in baseball and selected as the University's Athlete of the Year in 1966. He was inducted into the Pacific Hall of Fame in 1994, and briefly played minor league baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Cal's Pacific education sparked his profound commitment to the liberal arts and career in higher education. He spent a decade working in undergraduate admission at Harvard immediately after graduating from Springfield, and later as the Associate Dean at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He earned his master's degree at Springfield (Class 1970) and his doctorate at Harvard. At the Kennedy School he met Claudia Ryan, who would become his spouse of 35 years.

After moving to Claudia's native Minnesota in 1989 Cal served as a Vice President at Hamline University, the College of St. Catherine and the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University. Throughout his career, Cal worked tirelessly for college access and affordability, especially for those from humble backgrounds like his own. The self described poor kid from Burns who became a Harvard graduate understood that people are much more than the money they have, the clothes they wear or their social circles.

Cal passed away after a four year ordeal with throat cancer on March 26, 2025 in Hibbing Minnesota. This challenging period also brought moments of pure happiness, contentment and togetherness for Cal and his family. Heconsidered the decision to marry Claudia and and have their three daughters, his "ball player girls," the best of his life.

Cal's family life and service to higher education and community was celebrated at a funeral mass April 7 at St. Theresa of Deephaven in Minneapolis.