Jack Ryan, born on this day in 1938, is a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent and police officer who was fired in 1987 after refusing to spy on non-violent political activists.

Ryan had been an FBI agent since 1966, but was fired for this act of protest in September of 1987, ten months short of becoming eligible for a $300,000 pension and retirement.

In a report by the LA Times, Ryan stated his belief that the Bureau could reinstate him to a position which would not conflict with his personal beliefs, however this did not occur. Ryan also stated that U.S. involvement in Central America is "violent, illegal and immoral", and was openly critical of the FBI's COINTELPRO program.