An American professional baseball player and a representative for the state of Pennsylvania, Ren Wylie never forgot his years in Beaver County.

Ren Wylie was born December 14, 1861, in Elizabeth Township in Allegheny County, PA, and he attended the public schools of Pittsburgh. Ren's years at Geneva College were remembered in a letter he wrote to the college dated January 1949: "…I spent six very happy years at Geneva from the fall of 1881 to the spring of [1887]. Two years as prep, four years of college. Remember quite well of playing on the Commons at what was called Barnard town".

Batting and throwing right handed, standing 5'-11", and weighing about 155 pounds, 20-year-old Ren made his debut on August 11, 1882, as a center fielder for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys (nka the Pittsburgh Pirates) in the American Association, making him the first baseball player with a Beaver County connection to play in a major league. In that game, Ren was hitless in three at-bats against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1-0 loss. Ren's first appearance was his only appearance playing professional baseball. That year, the Alleghenys had a record of 39-39, finishing in fourth place in the American Association.

Ren's lone professional baseball game was in Pittsburgh's Exposition Park I, now located on today's Pittsburgh North Shore. Earlier that season, on May 10, 1882, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys played their first major league game in Pittsburgh, defeating the St. Louis Brown Stockings (nka St. Louis Cardinals) 9-5 in Exposition Park I in the first home game in Pirates franchise history. It was also the first time that the Pittsburgh Alleghenys (nka the Pittsburgh Pirates) faced the Cardinals franchise.

Ren was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1914 and 1916. During his life, he was a law student, real estate businessman, member of the Wilkinsburg Board of Education, Trustee of the Second United Presbyterian Church, and member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Ren's goal when running for the Senate was to work toward ratifying the Prohibition Amendment.

In 1947, Ren received Geneva College's highest alumni award, the Life G Award, which honors Geneva graduates who have made exemplary contributions on behalf of the college, the community, and the nation.

James Renwick "Ren" Wylie died August 17, 1951, at age 89, in Wilkinsburg, PA.