Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley Inducted into South Carolina Hall of Fame

Richard W. Riley

The South Carolina Hall of Fame has inducted former U.S. Secretary of Education and ACT Board Member Richard W. Riley into membership, in part, for his contributions to education in the state and nation.

“Wherever Dick Riley goes, in whatever capacity he continues to serve, he wins universal respect for his integrity and principled leadership, his steadfast commitment to children, and his passion for high quality education,” said David E. Shi, president of Furman University, who introduced Riley during the induction ceremony held in February at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Riley earned his undergraduate degree from Furman University and serves on Furman’s Board of Trustees.

The South Carolina Hall of Fame recognizes one contemporary and one deceased honoree every year for their impact on the state. Past inductees include author Pat Conroy, President Andrew Jackson, jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, U.S. Senator J. Strom Thurmond, and astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr.

Riley, who was born in Greenville, South Carolina, was a state representative from 1962 to 1966 and state senator from 1966 to 1976 before being elected governor of South Carolina for two consecutive terms from 1979 through 1987. As governor, he led an effort to change the state’s public school system, helping pass the 1984 South Carolina Education Improvement Act.

In 1992, President Bill Clinton appointed Riley as the U.S. Secretary of Education. Riley launched initiatives to raise academic standards, improve instruction for the poor, increase parental involvement in education, expand availability of college loans, and prepare young people for the work world. He also created the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, which included more than 8,000 groups, and focused national attention on the need for people of all ages to learn more than one language and pursue international education.

He served as U.S. Secretary of Education until 2001 and then returned to South Carolina where he works at the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough and remains an ambassador for improving education in the state, nation, and abroad.