Richard Riley

Richard Wilson Riley is an American lawyer and public servant whose career has spanned both state and federal government. Born in 1933, he served as the governor of South Carolina from 1979 to 1987, a period marked by significant educational reform and social legislation. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed him as the sixth United States Secretary of Education, a position he held until the end of the administration in 2001 after Senate confirmation.

Early life and career

Riley entered the world on January 2, 1933, in Greenville, South Carolina, to Edward P. “Ted” Riley and Martha (née Dixon) Riley. Growing up in a small Southern city, he pursued higher education at Furman University, where he graduated cum laude in 1954. While an undergraduate, he joined the Phi chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, an affiliation that reflected his early engagement with campus life and leadership opportunities. After completing his bachelor's degree, Riley attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, earning a Juris Doctor and establishing the legal foundation for his future public service.

His political career began in the state legislature. From 1963 to 1967, he represented constituents in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he gained experience with legislative processes and constituent concerns. He then moved to the upper chamber, serving in the South Carolina Senate from 1967 until 1977. During this decade, Riley became known for his focus on education and social welfare issues, laying the groundwork for his later executive roles.

In 1978, Riley was elected governor of South Carolina, a position he held through two consecutive terms. His first term coincided with a constitutional amendment that allowed governors to serve back‑to‑back terms; he secured re‑election in 1982 by a margin of approximately 70% to 30% over Republican challenger W. D. Workman Jr., a former journalist from Greenville. Riley’s tenure as governor was distinguished by his moniker “Education Governor,” earned through the passage of the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984, which instituted comprehensive reforms across the state’s public schools. He also championed other landmark legislation: the Medically Indigent Assistance Act—South Carolina’s first statewide program of its kind; an Employment Revitalization Act aimed at coordinating occupational training statewide; and an Omnibus Crime Bill that addressed broader criminal justice concerns. Despite his personal opposition to capital punishment, Riley oversaw the resumption of executions during his administration.

Cabinet tenure

In 1993, President Clinton approached Riley with a potential appointment to the United States Supreme Court—a position he declined in favor of a cabinet role. That same year, Clinton appointed him as Secretary of Education, and the Senate confirmed him for the post. As secretary, Riley worked closely with senior adviser Carol Rasco, director of the administration’s America Reads Challenge, from 1997 to 2000. Together they designed and implemented initiatives aimed at improving childhood literacy nationwide, a program that sought to raise reading levels among young students across the country.

Riley served as Secretary of Education until the conclusion of the Clinton administration in 2001. After leaving federal office, he joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP as a partner, applying his legal and policy experience to private practice. He also continued public service through board membership at the Albert Shanker Institute, an organization dedicated to advancing educational equity. Additionally, Riley holds the position of Honorary Co‑Chair for the World Justice Project, which works globally to strengthen rule‑of‑law efforts.

In 2007, he publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and served as a co‑chair of her campaign team, demonstrating his ongoing engagement with national politics and public policy advocacy.

Legacy

Riley’s contributions to education have been recognized by several institutions. In 1999, Furman University established the Richard W. Riley Institute of Government, Politics and Public Leadership in his honor, acknowledging his impact on public service and governance. The Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages awarded him the Foreign Language Advocacy Award in 2000 for his support of bilingual education initiatives. In 2008, Walden University renamed its college of education the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership to honor his commitment to student access, higher‑education expansion, and diversity. Winthrop University also named its college of education after him in 2000.

TIME magazine listed Riley among the Top Ten Best Cabinet Members in U.S. history in 2008. The Christian Science Monitor has referred to him as “one of the great statesmen of education” in the twentieth century, and a former Washington Post columnist described him as “most decent and honorable” in public life.

In 2018, Greenville announced plans for a sculpture commemorating Riley’s leadership and dedication to quality education. That same year, the Richard W. Riley Collection opened at the University of South Carolina’s South Carolina Political Collections, containing over three thousand photographs; thousands of speeches with handwritten edits; extensive research notes on policy development; considerable correspondence and news clippings; and interviews that document his career and personal life.

Riley is married to the late Ann O. Yarborough; together they have four children—three sons and one daughter. His legacy continues through the institutions named after him, the programs he helped establish, and the public service record that spans state and federal government.