Clinton L. Riggs
Encyclopedia
Clinton Levering Riggs was an American businessman, government official, military officer, and lacrosse
coach. He served as the Adjutant-General of the Maryland National Guard
and the Secretary of Commerce and Police of the Philippine Commission
from 1913 to 1915. Riggs was also the second head coach of the lacrosse team at Johns Hopkins University
.
on September 13, 1865 to merchant and manufacturer Lawrason and Mary Turpin (née Bright) Riggs. His family moved to Baltimore, Maryland the year after his birth in 1866. During his childhood, he spent his summers in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island
and attended the St. Paul's School
in Concord, New Hampshire
.
Riggs then attended college at Princeton University
, where he played on the lacrosse team
. He graduated in 1887 with a degree in civil engineering
. In 1888, he began postgraduate work at Johns Hopkins University
where he also coached the lacrosse team. Hopkins lost their first game to the Druid Lacrosse Club
, 4–1, but then captured the first victory in school history against the Patterson Lacrosse Club of Baltimore
, 6–2.
to work as an engineer. Riggs then became a cattle rancher before returning to Baltimore to become a machinist apprentice with the Robert Poole & Son Company. On October 12, 1891, he became vice president of the Detrick & Harvey Machine Company, a position he held until his retirement on December 31, 1920.
He served in the Fifth Regiment
of the Maryland state militia
, beginning as a second lieutenant of Company E on April 29, 1890. He was promoted to captain and took command of Company F on November 12, 1895. He later attained the rank of major, and was mustered for the Spanish-American War
on May 14, 1898 as part of the United States Volunteers
. The New York Times
reported that "he was in such disfavor with the then Col. Coale and most of the other officers of the regiment that he resigned as soon as the regiment was mustered out of service." In January 1904, Riggs was named Adjutant-General of the Maryland National Guard by Governor
Edwin Warfield
. The appointment was not received favorably by his fellow officers of the regiment, as The New York Times noted, he assumed "command of all the officers who induced" his earlier resignation. Riggs served in that position for four years.
In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson
appointed General Riggs to the Philippine Commission
. As Secretary of Commerce and Police, Riggs clashed with Governor General Francis Burton Harrison
about who had authority over the Philippine Constabulary
. In November 1914, Harrison cabled Washington
to request the dismissal of Riggs from his post on the commission.
In February 1928, while living in Catonsville, Maryland
, Riggs served as chairman of the Wood Memorial Fund, which sought to raise $2 million to eradicate leprosy
in the Philippines. Riggs did business in real estate and served as the head of the Baltimore real estate board. He was also involved in swine breeding.
, football
, and lacrosse. Riggs was described as "a lifetime Democrat
in his political conviction", but voted against presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan
because of his stance on the silver issue
.
Riggs died of a heart condition on September 12, 1938 at Union Memorial Hospital
in Baltimore, Maryland
.
Field lacrosse
Field lacrosse, sometimes referred to as the "fastest sport on two feet," is a full contact outdoor men's sport played with ten players on each team. The sport originated among Native Americans, and the modern rules of field lacrosse were initially codified by Canadian William George Beers in 1867....
coach. He served as the Adjutant-General of the Maryland National Guard
Maryland Army National Guard
The Maryland Army National Guard is the Army component of the organized militia of the State of Maryland. It is headquartered at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore and has units at armories and other facilities across the state....
and the Secretary of Commerce and Police of the Philippine Commission
Philippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was a body appointed by the President of the United States to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines. It was first appointed by President William McKinley in 1901. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral Philippine...
from 1913 to 1915. Riggs was also the second head coach of the lacrosse team at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Early life and college
Riggs was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on September 13, 1865 to merchant and manufacturer Lawrason and Mary Turpin (née Bright) Riggs. His family moved to Baltimore, Maryland the year after his birth in 1866. During his childhood, he spent his summers in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island
Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island
Narragansett Pier is an unincorporated village and a census-designated place in the town of Narragansett in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 3,671 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and attended the St. Paul's School
St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
.
Riggs then attended college at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he played on the lacrosse team
Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse
The Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse team represents Princeton University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
. He graduated in 1887 with a degree in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. In 1888, he began postgraduate work at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
where he also coached the lacrosse team. Hopkins lost their first game to the Druid Lacrosse Club
Druid Hill Park
Druid Hill Park is a urban park in northwest Baltimore, Maryland. Its boundaries are marked by Druid Park Drive , Swann Drive and Reisterstown Road , and the Jones Falls Expressway...
, 4–1, but then captured the first victory in school history against the Patterson Lacrosse Club of Baltimore
Patterson Park
Patterson Park is a public park in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. The park is bordered by East Baltimore Street on the north, Eastern Avenue on the south, South Patterson Park Avenue on the west, and South Linwood Avenue on the east...
, 6–2.
Professional career
After concluding his postgraduate studies in 1889, he moved to IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
to work as an engineer. Riggs then became a cattle rancher before returning to Baltimore to become a machinist apprentice with the Robert Poole & Son Company. On October 12, 1891, he became vice president of the Detrick & Harvey Machine Company, a position he held until his retirement on December 31, 1920.
He served in the Fifth Regiment
5th Maryland Regiment
The designation "5th Maryland" has been held by several units over the years, not all of which necessarily share the same lineage and honors. The first such unit, the 5th Maryland Regiment was organized on 27 March 1776 composing of eight companies of volunteers from the counties of Queen Anne's,...
of the Maryland state militia
Maryland Army National Guard
The Maryland Army National Guard is the Army component of the organized militia of the State of Maryland. It is headquartered at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore and has units at armories and other facilities across the state....
, beginning as a second lieutenant of Company E on April 29, 1890. He was promoted to captain and took command of Company F on November 12, 1895. He later attained the rank of major, and was mustered for the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
on May 14, 1898 as part of the United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U. S. Vol., or U.S.V.Starting as early as 1861 these regiments were often referred to as the "volunteer army" of the United States but not officially named that until 1898.During the nineteenth century this was the United States federal...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that "he was in such disfavor with the then Col. Coale and most of the other officers of the regiment that he resigned as soon as the regiment was mustered out of service." In January 1904, Riggs was named Adjutant-General of the Maryland National Guard by Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Edwin Warfield
Edwin Warfield
Edwin Warfield , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 45th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1904 to 1908.-Early life:...
. The appointment was not received favorably by his fellow officers of the regiment, as The New York Times noted, he assumed "command of all the officers who induced" his earlier resignation. Riggs served in that position for four years.
In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
appointed General Riggs to the Philippine Commission
Philippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was a body appointed by the President of the United States to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines. It was first appointed by President William McKinley in 1901. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral Philippine...
. As Secretary of Commerce and Police, Riggs clashed with Governor General Francis Burton Harrison
Francis Burton Harrison
Francis Burton Harrison was an American statesman who served in the United States House of Representatives and appointed Governor-General of the Philippines by President of the United States Woodrow Wilson...
about who had authority over the Philippine Constabulary
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary ' was the oldest of four service commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was a gendarmerie type para-military police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority replacing the Guardia Civil...
. In November 1914, Harrison cabled Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to request the dismissal of Riggs from his post on the commission.
In February 1928, while living in Catonsville, Maryland
Catonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
, Riggs served as chairman of the Wood Memorial Fund, which sought to raise $2 million to eradicate leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
in the Philippines. Riggs did business in real estate and served as the head of the Baltimore real estate board. He was also involved in swine breeding.
Personal life
On October 23, 1894, he married Mary Kennedy née Cromwell. Riggs was a member of the Baltimore Club, the Bachelors' Cotillon Club, Municipal Art Society, and served as chairman of the house committee of the Baltimore Athletic Club. He enjoyed playing lawn tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and lacrosse. Riggs was described as "a lifetime Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in his political conviction", but voted against presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
because of his stance on the silver issue
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
.
Riggs died of a heart condition on September 12, 1938 at Union Memorial Hospital
Union Memorial Hospital
Union Memorial Hospital is a non-profit, acute care teaching hospital located in the North Central section of Baltimore, Maryland....
in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.