Richard Riley

Infobox US Cabinet official
name =Richard Riley


order =111^th
title =Governor of South Carolina
term_start =January 10, 1979
term_end =January 14, 1987
lieutenant =Nancy Stevenson (1979-83), Michael R. Daniel (1983-97)
predecessor =James Burrows Edwards
successor =Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.
order2 =6^th
title2 =United States Secretary of Education
term_start2 =January 21, 1993
term_end2 =January 20, 2001
president2 =Bill Clinton
predecessor2 =Lamar Alexander
successor2 =Rod Paige
birth_date =birth date and age |1933|01|2
birth_place =Greenville County, South Carolina
death_date =
death_place =
party =Democrat
profession =
spouse = Ann Yarborough Riley

Richard Wilson Riley (born January 2, 1933), American politician, was United States Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton and Governor of South Carolina. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Riley was born in Greenville County, South Carolina. He graduatedfrom Greenville High School in 1950, and with honors from Furman University in 1954. He served in the Navy from 1954-55. In 1959, he graduated the law school of the University of South Carolina.

Riley served in the House of Representatives from 1963-66. He served in the State Senate from 1967-1977. Riley was elected governor of South Carolina in 1978. During his first term, the state constitution was amended to allow governors to serve two terms. Riley was re-elected in 1982, and served until 1987. Riley's chief accomplishment was improving funding and support for education.

As Governor, Riley presided over resumption of executions, despite his personal opposition to the death penalty [ [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+best+governor+in+America+-+and+you've+never+heard+of+him-a04473384 The best governor in America - and you've never heard of him. - Free Online Library ] ] .

President Clinton appointed Riley Secretary of Education, a post he held from 1993-2001. Since then, he has served as a partner in the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, and served as a board member of the Albert Shanker Institute.Riley married Ann Osteen Yarborough. They have four children.On June 27, 2007 he endorsed Hillary Clinton for President and served as a Campaign Co-Chair [http://campaignsandelections.com/sc/articles/?id=310] .

The Riley Institute at Furman University

[http://www.rileyinstitute.org The Richard W. Riley Institute of Government, Politics, and Public Leadership] is a multi-faceted, non-partisan institute affiliated with the Department of Political Science at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. The institute is unique in the United States in the emphasis it places on engaging students in the various arenas of politics, public policy, and public leadership.

Since its inauguration in 1999, the Riley Institute has developed a broad array of programs, symposia, and conferences designed to promote discussion and analysis of the dynamics of important public policy issues ranging from social security to national security policy. Programs include important series on urban politics and policy, women in politics, and the American Congress, and international programs such as "China Rising" and "The Middle East in Transition."

The yearly Riley National Conference brings noted participants from around the United States and the world. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was the keynote speaker for the Riley Institute National Conference, National Security in a New Age," a Conference which brought 4,000 people to campus. The National Conference, Women and Politics: Transforming Public Leadership, designed to assess changes in the trajectory and scope of the involvement of women in the political arenas of South Carolina and the United States over the past three decades, was attended by more than 5,000 people from across the United States.

Among the most important programs of the Riley Institute are those created to promote civic participation, responsibility and leadership. Our Teachers of Government and Emerging Public Leaders Programs and Riley Diversity Leadership Academy engage high school students, teachers, and community leaders in civic responsibility, political participation, and knowledge about government and public policy.

By bringing local, national, and international leaders to South Carolina and to Furman and by underwriting collaborative research, study abroad, and internships for Furman students The Riley Institute creates a synergy of discussion, analysis, and understanding about public policy, leadership, and government not only for Furman students but for the broader regional and national community.

References

* [http://www.ed.gov/offices/OS/riley.html U.S. Department of Education Bio]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/riley.html The Political Graveyard]
* [http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/players/riley/ CNN AllPolitics - Players - Richard Riley]
* [http://www.nelsonmullins.com/lawyers/nelson-mullins-attorney-bio.cfm?id=544 Nelson, Mullins, Riley, and Scarborough Biography]
* [http://www.rileyinstitute.org The Riley Institute]
* [http://www.furman.edu Furman University]

External links

* [http://www.sciway.net/hist/governors/riley.html SCIway Biography of Richard Wilson Riley]
* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=07c7ae3effb81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD NGA Biography of Richard Wilson Riley]