Cheryl Makin

(East Brunswick, N.J.) Home News Tribune

BOUND BROOK, N.J. — It took more than 70 years, but finally Football Through The Years by Dean Hill is back at the Bound Brook Memorial Library. Former Mayor Frank Ryan, 84, who took out the book in 1944 when he was 13, returned it to its home on Monday.

Accompanied by his daughter, Karen Ryan, and his grandson, Ross Ryan, the former Bound Brook High School quarterback handed the hardcover book to librarian Mary Nelson.

The book has spent the last seven decades in a barrel in the attic of the Ryan family home.

In December, while the family was mourning the death of Rachel Ryan, Frank Ryan's wife of more than 60 years, Karen Ryan decided to look in the attic and check out the mysterious barrel. Nestled among other books was the long overdue Football Through The Years.

Frank Ryan recalls taking out the book from the library and reading it — or looking at the pictures at the very least. His favorite part was — and still is — the section on the very first football game between Rutgers and Princeton. Ryan has no idea how the book ended up in the barrel in the attic. He just knows that after the book was checked out, he became ill and was hospitalized at Saint Peter's in New Brunswick.

"We always wondered what was in that barrel in the attic," said Karen Ryan, a television producer in Washington. "Who knew it was an overdue library book?"

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Before handing it back, Ryan perused the pages once again — one last look at the pictures — and pointed out various tidbits to the library's guests. He thinks it may have brought him luck, in the form of a successful high school quarterback career, from its perch in that barrel.

Initially, Ryan didn't want to take the book back. He thought he would be jailed for the overdue indiscretion.

"I knew it didn't make sense, but that was my first thought," he said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

Published in 1940, Football Through The Years, which predates the modern NFL, will become part of the library's archive collection on the upper level of the library. Nelson said she plans to keep it with the various news articles associated with it since the story broke on www.mycentraljersey.com.

"We are happy to have it back," Nelson said. "While people won't be able to take it out of the building, they can look at it here."

Ryan was given the option to either keep the book or return it. The fee for an overdue book is capped at $10, but branch manager Cindy Mangel said that would be waived. For fun, Mangel and Karen Ryan figured if the 1944 late fee rate of $.05 a day held, the book's actual overdue fee would be $1,611.

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"We would have worked with him regardless," Mangel said with a smile. "It's not often we get a book that is overdue by that many years. I have read about it but (it had) never happened in my career."

"This has been great for the Bound Brook Library and the Somerset County Library System," she said. "And public libraries in general. It has really brought attention to the role of public libraries in a positive manner. We are so happy about it."

Brian Auger, administrator for the Somerset County Library System, said that anyone who has an overdue library book should not be afraid to return it.

"We will work with everybody," he said. "Nobody will be put in library jail. We just want the books back. This was a great feel-good story for our library. It points to the small-town nature of this part of New Jersey. It's really kind of sweet."

Mangel and her staff also realized Ryan's library card had expired, so on Monday Ryan was presented with a VIP gold library card — one that does not expire. They hope he will come back and visit the library, which is only a few blocks from his home.

"This is pretty good. I'll come back," said Ryan, holding his new library card. "I'll take out books — and return them. I'll visit my old book."

Borough Mayor Robert Fazen — who said he does not have any overdue library books in his attic — said Ryan is one of the borough's most beloved people. "Boxer," as he is known to friends, is a man of honesty, sincerity and integrity, Fazen said.

"I got my foundation in politics from him," Fazen said. "When I moved here 35 years ago, he appointed me chairman of the Planning Board. And when I ran for mayor, he helped me tremendously. He has become a very close friend and one of the most wonderful people I have ever met."

Several other local VIPs turned out to support Ryan as he returned Football Through The Years, including former borough police chief Anthony Cimino.

"I'm not here to arrest him," joked Cimino, who is a longtime friend of Ryan. "I don't think there is a borough ordinance for that."