Douglas W. Ryan earned a BA and MAT from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and a CAGS from Bridgewater State College.  He was awarded a Fulbright Grant for Advanced Study at the American Academy (Rome) and the Villa Vergiliana (Cumae, Italy).  He studied paleography at Trinity College, Oxford, England.  From 1974 to 2008 he taught Latin at Hingham High School  in Hingham, Massachusetts.  As an active member of several professional organizations, he has given numerous workshops for fellow educators.  He was the 1991 recipient of "Outstanding Teacher of Latin and Greek," a distinction awarded annually by the Classical Association of Massachusetts.

Kathleen S. Ryan earned a BA from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) as well as an MAT from Bridgewater State College.  She taught history at the Easton Junior High School and Oliver Ames High School in Easton, Massachusetts for 24 years.  As a certified school librarian, she also worked at the Hanover Middle School from 2020 through 2004.  She has worked as an adjunct faculty member at Bridgewater State College to supervise student teacher candidates.

Both Douglas and Kathleen have organized several student trips to Italy.  They have also participated in study tours to Italy, Greece, England, Israel, and Egypt.  It was during these many trips that they began collecting museum quality items that eventually became the basis for their "Museum in the Classroom" display.  With a combined total of almost 60 years in education, they retired from classroom teaching and created Historia Antiqua.

Since 2008 Historia Antiqua has given presentations at public and private elementary, middle, and high schools as well as universities.