Ralph Bryant was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 19, 1926. His mother was Helen Davies, and they were descendents of Davies family members who migrated from Virginia to Missouri during the 19th century.
Ralph was also a descendent of other notable Virginia familys. He was a member of the Virginia Society of Cincinnati through his ancestor Major Jesse Evans, who moved to Missouri in 1815 following the death of his wife, Elizabeth Breckinridge. Her family produced many notable people including John C. Breckinridge, Vice-President of the United States under James Buchanan and a candidate for president in 1860.
After completing high school in 1944, Ralph joined the Army Corp of Engineers and served in the Philippines and Australia. He attended reunions in Manila with some of his old army buddies in 1963 and again in 1996.
After World War II, Ralph resumed his education and earned his B.S. from the University of Missouri and a Masters degree in Public Administration from George Washington University.
During his professional career, Ralph began as a Foreign Affairs Editor with the CIA and later held numerous state government positions in Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado and Washington. He also served with the International Executive Service Corp.
During his retirement years, Ralph lived in Fort Collins, Colorado. He also traveled extensively to many parts of the world, including Romania, Russia, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Honduras.
Ralph was very interested in family history and did a great deal of research, both in the U. S. and in England. He located the Royal Land Grant to Nicholas Davies in the Virginia State Library in Richmond and provided a copy for this Web site.
Ralph was one the most active and enthusiastic members of the Davies Family Organization. In 1998, he attended the Davies Family Reunion and is included in the reunion photos. He also attended Breckinridge Family reunions.
Ralph Bryant died on January 5, 2000.
Editor's Note:
This biography is a summary of the one that appeared in the "Old Nick" newsletter
(September 1999), which was written by Bob Chope, based upon information supplied by Ralph
himself.