D. D. Ryan, 79; editor helped create ‘Eloise’ while at Harper’s Bazaar

D. D. Ryan, 79, a former editor for Harper’s Bazaar magazine who played a key role in the creation of “Eloise,” the children’s book about a mischievous girl who lives in a luxury hotel, died July 24 in a hospice in the Bronx, N.Y. The cause was complications from lung cancer, according to news reports.

Ryan learned about Eloise from her friend, Kay Thompson, a cabaret singer who invented the character. Ryan encouraged Thompson to write a book about the precocious 6-year-old and introduced Thompson to Hilary Knight, an illustrator whose work had appeared in several magazines. “Eloise” was published by Simon & Schuster in 1955. A number of sequels followed, including, “Eloise in Paris” and “Eloise in Moscow.”

Ryan was born Dorinda Dixon in Bristol, R.I., and graduated from Finch College in New York City.

She became photo editor for Harper’s Bazaar under Diana Vreeland, who was the magazine’s editor until 1962.

In the 1970s Ryan worked as an assistant to the fashion designer Halston. She also designed the costumes for the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” in 1970.

She married John Barry Ryan III, an investment banker. They had two children before divorcing in the 1980s.

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