John H. Riley
Encyclopedia
John H. Riley was an American attorney
and railroad transport
ation administrator. He was born in New york and raised in Danbury, CT, and moved to Minnesota
after graduating from law school.
Riley went to Washington DC in 1978 as an aide to U.S. Senator David Durenberger
(R-Minnesota) and was his chief counsel and later, his chief of staff. In 1982, Riley received a Presidential appointment to serve as head of the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) from 1983-1989 in the administration of President Ronald W. Reagan under Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole
. He is credited for recruiting W. Graham Claytor Jr.
to come out of retirement and head Amtrak
for eleven years. Riley was a longtime Amtrak supporter, and worked tirelessly for its funding during his years in Washington.
In 1990, Riley was named as Commissioner of the Minnesota
Department of Transportation. He resigned in 1991 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor in his brain. Despite two major surgeries at Johns Hopkins University
Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and two periods of remission during which he returned to rail leadership roles in Minnesota, he died of brain cancer in March, 1994, and was buried in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and railroad transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation administrator. He was born in New york and raised in Danbury, CT, and moved to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
after graduating from law school.
Riley went to Washington DC in 1978 as an aide to U.S. Senator David Durenberger
David Durenberger
David Ferdinand Durenberger is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.- Early life :...
(R-Minnesota) and was his chief counsel and later, his chief of staff. In 1982, Riley received a Presidential appointment to serve as head of the Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
(FRA) from 1983-1989 in the administration of President Ronald W. Reagan under Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
. He is credited for recruiting W. Graham Claytor Jr.
W. Graham Claytor Jr.
William Graham Claytor, Jr. was an American lawyer, naval officer, and railroad, transportation and defense administrator for the United States government, working under the administrations of three US presidents....
to come out of retirement and head Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
for eleven years. Riley was a longtime Amtrak supporter, and worked tirelessly for its funding during his years in Washington.
In 1990, Riley was named as Commissioner of the Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
Department of Transportation. He resigned in 1991 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor in his brain. Despite two major surgeries 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...
Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and two periods of remission during which he returned to rail leadership roles in Minnesota, he died of brain cancer in March, 1994, and was buried in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
.