Biographical Information: Riley was born in Greenville County, S.C., on Jan. 2, 1933. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Furman University and served in the U.S. Navy before earning a law degree from the University of South Carolina. From 1963 to 1977 he was a state representative and state senator and served for two terms as the governor of South Carolina, from 1978 to 1986. As governor, Riley focused heavily on education and passed the Education Improvement Act, which overhauled the public school system in the state. He is currently co-chair of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future and is a senior partner at the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.
Served Under: President Bill Clinton
Dates of Tenure: 1993-2001
Fun Fact: Riley was the longest-serving secretary of education and the only one to hold the position for both terms of a two-term president.
Highlights of Tenure:
- Riley advocated the creation of the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program, which allows schools and libraries to receive discounted Internet and telephone rates.
- An advocate for technology in the classroom, Riley hosted the first Secretary’s Conference on Education Technology.
- The Education Department issued the first federal grants to charter schools under Riley.
Archives of Note:
A Survey of State Initiatives
Gov. Richard W. Riley of South Carolina in June signed into law a $1 million appropriation for the training and retraining of mathematics and science teachers. An effort to expand the program to teachers other than those in math and science was defeated. The guidelines for the program will be written by the state board of education, a spokesman for Governor Riley said. Most programs will be run by local districts with the state money, he said. (July 27, 1983)
Riley, Colleagues ‘Get Outside Beltway’ To Push for Goals 2000
Mr. Riley has acknowledged that he did not spend much time on public relations during his first year in office, when he concentrated on winning passage of the proposed “Goals 2000: Educate America Act” and other legislative initiatives, which are likely to come to fruition this year. (Feb. 9, 1994)
Riley Sees ED Role in Pushing Use of Technology
The U.S. Education Department and other federal agencies should collaborate with state and local education officials and the private sector to help develop universal classroom access to electronic-communications networks, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley told an audience of technology-using educators here last week. (May 18, 1994)
Riley, Lawmakers Debate Federal Role in Schools
Nearly three dozen religious leaders put aside theological differences to join Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley in a holiday-season declaration supporting family involvement in education. (Jan. 18, 1995)
Riley Announces First Charter School Grants, New Study
The Education Department has issued the first federal grants in support of charter schools. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley announced last month that more than $5 million will be distributed to eight states. Another $78,000 will go to two individual schools in New Mexico. (Oct. 4, 1995)
Riley: ESEA Plan Will Push Teacher Quality
The Department of Education will not seek a major overhaul of Title I in this year’s reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley told members of Congress last week. (Feb. 17, 1999)
The Gentleman From South Carolina
To the surprise of some skeptics, Richard W. Riley has emerged as the longest-serving U.S. education secretary in the history of the Cabinet post. The softspoken former governor has drawn upon the experiences he forged over a lifetime in public service. (Sept. 8, 1999)
Riley Releases New Class-Size Report
In its first year, President Clinton’s highly touted federal class-size-reduction program helped nearly two-thirds of the nation’s elementary schools hire an estimated 29,000 new teachers, according to a report released last week by Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. (Sept. 13, 2000)
Riley Grilled on Travel, Department Fraud Allegations
In a recent congressional hearing, Republicans grilled Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley on financial-management practices at the Department of Education and the secretary’s travel schedule. (Nov. 1, 2000)
Former Ed. Secretary Riley Says Law Needs Change of Emphasis
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley says the federal No Child Left Behind Act merits some tinkering to shift its emphasis from “compliance” back to teaching and learning. (Sept. 20, 2004)
Commentaries by Richard W. Riley:
School’s Out For Riley
Whoever is tapped to be the next secretary of education will have a tough act to follow. Richard Riley, the former South Carolina governor who’s held the position since 1993, is respected by both politicos and regular folks for his integrity and down-home style. In September, Riley met with contributing writer Joetta L. Sack to discuss his legacy---and to make one last pitch to teachers to get involved in policy reform. Secretary hopefuls, listen and learn. (Nov. 1, 2000)
Investment Without Invective
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley offers his opinions on the new administration’s education initiatives, congressional action on those initiatives, and the present position of the federal Education Department. (Jul. 11, 2001)
A Compass in the Storm
What does it take to form effective school-business partnerships at a time when concern about excess commercialism in schools fosters scrutiny of such relationships? Former U.S. Secretaries of Education Lamar Alexander and Richard W. Riley offer “guiding principles.” (Oct. 9, 2002)
Before the ‘Either-Or’ Era
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and his longtime adviser Terry K. Peterson share in the following essay their reflections on those experiences, as seen through the prism of “A Nation at Risk,” the influential 1983 critique of American education. (Sept. 19, 2008)
Civic Investment and the ‘Skyboxing’ of Education
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley writes about the importance of civic investment in schools, particularly in these days of slashed education budgets. (Jun. 24, 2011)
