STUDENT LIFE I INTERNATIONAL I SOCIAL CLUBS I ACADEMICS I PEOPLE I LEADERSHIP I ATHLETICS I ORGANIZATIONS Spring Sing 2018 honored the legacy of John H. Ryan, the show's original producer for 32 years. H arding's Spring Sing began in 1974 when two students approached Dr. John H. Ryan, or "Jack," as he was known to many, with the idea of a campus-wide musical extravaganza that involved clubs and healthy competition. Ryan excitedly joined the students in making the event happen. Little did he know that 45 years later Spring Singwould be a staple annual event on the Harding calendar. During the 2018 Spring Sing show, Harding honored Ryan after his death just one month prior to the show. He was an integral part of making Spring Sing happen for over 30 years before his retirement in 2006. "He was 'Mr. Spring Sing' before I was ever 'Mr. Spring Sing,'" Dr. Steven Frye, director of Spring Sing since 1995, said. Ryan remained the Spring Sing producer until 1995 when Cindee Stockstill was named producer, and Ryan moved to executive producer. "I grew up listening to [Ryan] on the radio becau e he would do the narration part of the Harding Hymns radio program that played just before my dad would speakon the radio," Stockstillsaid. "I grew up listening to Jack Ryan read scripture on the radio, and then, to be 12 able to get to work with him personally for that many years, it was just amazing." Ryan was honored for his leadership in numerous Spring Sing shows when the final award was renamed the John H. Ryan Sweepstakes Award in 1998 after the 25th SpringSing. The renaming of the award was a complete surprise to Ryan. "It was pretty cool because it totally caught him off guard, and we were just grinning," Dottie Frye, director of the hosts, hostesses and ensemble, said. "For the first time in his life, he was speechless." There were a lot of changes since the first show: Spring Sing moved from the Administration Auditorium to the George S. Benson Auditorium, club shows were grouped together rather than being individualized and giving to charities added a philanthropic aspect co the competitive nature of the show. Though many aspects of Spring Sing changed, Ryan had a profound and lasting impact on the production. "He was an amazing influence on my life," Steven Frye said. "I can't minimize the impact that he had on me as a per on. There are very few true mentors that you call on in life, and he was certainly one of those." story by Kayla Meeler
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==