Browse Items (16 total)

Riley discusses his close ties to Hillary and Bill Clinton. Riley discusses meeting and supporting Bill Clinton during his presidential campaign. Clinton returned the favor and assisted Riley to keep the federal courthouse downtown. Riley also…

Riley describes his close relationship with the Carter administration. He discusses receiving a surprise Sunday evening phone call from President Carter and the president’s visit to Charleston. Riley also explains how his close ties to the…

The former Charleston mayor discusses the impact of Hurricane Hugo (1989) on the region. He spotlights the emotional toll that it took on area residents and rejects suggestions that the storm benefited Charleston. Hugo elevated Riley’s public…

The former mayor of Charleston reflects on the first seven months of his retirement and indicates that he is satisfied with the decision not to seek re-election. He also comments on recent protests in cities across the country regarding the use of…

Riley discusses his efforts at revitalizing downtown through the development of the Charleston Place hotel and Waterfront Park. He faced strong opposition to Charleston Place (originally Charleston Center) from preservationists and local merchants,…

Charleston’s long-time mayor discusses policing, comparing chiefs Reuben Greenberg (1982-2005) and his successor, Gregory G. Mullen (2006-present). Riley reflects on the physical and mental health issues that led to Greenberg’s retirement. He also…

The former mayor of Charleston discusses the troubled origins of the Spoleto Festival—Charleston’s performing arts festival that began in 1977. The Charleston events are the US counterpart to the “Festival of Two Worlds” in Spoleto, Italy. Riley…

Riley discusses his successful campaign for Mayor of Charleston in 1975. Charleston’s long-serving mayor, J. Palmer Gaillard had resigned in April 1975 to accept President Ford’s nomination to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for…

Riley discusses his years in the South Carolina House of Representatives (1968-1974). During those years, Riley was part of a small group of young legislators known as the Young Turks, which attempted to pass progressive reforms but faced the…

Charleston’s long-serving mayor (1975-2016) discusses the transition from his undergraduate experience at The Citadel (BA 1964) to law school at the University of South Carolina (JD 1967). Hearing loss disqualified Riley for the draft and his pursuit…