Bob Cowley Riley

Bob Cowley Riley (born September 18, 1924 in Little Rock , Arkansas , † February 16, 1994 in Arkadelphia , Arkansas) was an American politician and 1975 governor of Arkansas.

Early years

Bob Riley attended Little Rock public schools. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent US involvement in World War II , Riley dropped out of high school to join the Marine Corps . He was badly wounded and blinded in Guam . After the war he finished his education at the University of Arkansas .

Political rise

Riley was a member of the Democratic Party . From 1946 to 1950 he was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives in addition to his studies . In 1950 he applied unsuccessfully for a position in the State Senate . He then became an insurance agent for a short time. Between 1951 and 1955 he taught economics and political science at the University of Arkansas. He then became the longtime director of the Political Science Department at Quachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia in Clark County . From 1960 to 1966 he was a member of the Arkadelphia city council and then from 1966 to 1967 mayor of that place. In 1968 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention .

Governor and further curriculum vitae

From 1971 to 1975, Riley Vice Governor ( lieutenant governor ) of Arkansas. After the resignation of Governor Dale Bumpers on January 3, 1975, he had to end his term until January 14, 1975 as acting governor. In just under two weeks, he merely administered the office and then handed it over to Governor David Pryor, who was newly elected in November . Riley then returned to Arkadelphia, where he resumed teaching until 1980. Then his poor health forced him to give up this job. He died of heart failure on February 16, 1994. Bob Riley had been married to Claudia Zimmerman since 1956.

Web links

• Online biography in the Arkansas Encyclopedia (English)