Richard Riley

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111th Governor of South Carolina
Richard Riley

6th United States Secretary of Education
In office January 21, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	Lamar Alexander
Succeeded by	Rod Paige
In office January 10, 1979 – January 14, 1987
Preceded by	James Burrows Edwards
Succeeded by	Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.

Born	January 2, 1933 Greenville County, South Carolina
Political party	Democratic

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

Born in Greenville County, South Carolina, Riley graduated with honors from Furman University in 1954. He then served in the Navy from 1954-55. Later in 1959 he received a law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Riley began in politics as a member of the House of Representatives in his home state of South Carolina, serving from 1963-66. He then moved to the State Senate, serving for ten years beginning in 1967. Riley was elected governor of South Carolina in 1978. During his first term, the state constitution was amended to allow a second term. Riley was re-elected in 1982, and served until 1987. Riley's chief accomplishment was improving funding and support for education. Upon being elected President, Bill Clinton tapped him as Secretary of Education, a post he held during both Clinton Administrations. 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.

[edit] The Riley Institute at Furman

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. Named for the former Governor of South Carolina and United States Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, 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. Information on these and other programs of the Institute are found elsewhere in this website.

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.

The Riley Institute can be found at www.rileyinstitute.org.

[edit] References

Preceded by James Burrows Edwards	Governor of South Carolina 1979 - 1987	Succeeded by Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.
Preceded by Lamar Alexander	United States Secretary of Education 1993 - 2001	Succeeded by Roderick Paige