Oral History of Joseph P. Riley, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 19 April, 2016
Title
Oral History of Joseph P. Riley, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 19 April, 2016
Subject
Description
Charleston’s longest-serving mayor discusses his experiences as an undergraduate at The Citadel (1960-1964). Prompted by a yearbook photo, Riley shares memories of his classmates, including a company commander with a proclivity for pranks involving wildlife. Riley also reflects on Charleston’s Civil War Centennial events, which were part of a year-long national commemoration. Cadets re-enacted the December 1861 firing on the federal supply ship, the Star of the West, which preceded by four months the attack on Fort Sumter that marked the start of the Civil War. Riley recalls his cousin Steve Schachte firing a model cannon at a Star of the West replica from the roof of the family home on Charleston’s Battery. Riley also describes his relationship to Thomas Nugent (“The Boo”) Courvoisie, a beloved Citadel administrator. A trip to New Orleans as a member of the Summerall Guard during Riley’s senior year was especially memorable. He additionally reflects on his early work experiences, including assisting his father in his insurance business and an internship in Congressman Mendel Rivers’s office in Washington, DC. Riley concludes with some reflections on the influence of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. on his values.
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/admin/items/show/1123
Coverage
Charleston (S.C.)
Duration
1 hour and 17 minutes
Interviewer
Kieran Walsh Taylor
Interviewee
Joseph P. Riley
Location
Charleston, South Carolina
Collection
Citation
The Charleston Oral History Program at the Citadel, “Oral History of Joseph P. Riley, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 19 April, 2016,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed May 18, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/1123.