Ryan was first elected to represent the 168th legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1962.[2] He served in the House Republican Leadership as Policy Committee Chairman from 1971 to 1972.[2] He was the Republican Whip from 1973 to 1978, with 1973–1974 spent as the Majority Whip.[2] He was elected Republican Leader in 1979–1980, with those years in the majority.[2] He served as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1981 to 1982.[2] In 1983, the Republicans became the minority and Ryan became the Republican Leader again.[2] In 1995, the Republicans regained the majority and elected Ryan Speaker of the House, a position he held until his death in 2003.[2][3]
In 2002, the political website PoliticsPA named him to the list of "Smartest Legislators," calling him "quick and sharp with his Irish wit from the Speaker's rostrum" and a "man of true wisdom."[4] In a 2002 PoliticsPAFeature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Most Popular."[5]