Francis Ryan, Assistant Headmaster at Rumsey Hall School (CT), was presented with the 2009 Bretnall Award. The Bretnall Award, named for William Bretnall, a distinguished educator and fi rst SSATB Program Director, is given each year to a leader and educator who has made “signifi cant contributions to the fi eld of admission.” Ryan is the 27th recipient of the award.

An active SSATB member and supporter, Fran Ryan has served on SSATB’s Test Development Task Force and the Junior Schools Task Force, which focused on the Standard Application Online. Regan Kenyon’s introductory speech illustrated Ryan’s talent for creativity and resourcefulness through the retelling of an amusing anecdote involving a Korean tailor, a police standoff and a negotiation for sport coats in the dark. He then praised Ryan’s commitment to the admission community, private schools and students, stating that Fran Ryan is “a leader among the junior schools and a leader in the push standardize the independent school admission process for the benefi t of the families we serve.”