Bob Cowley Riley
| Bob C. Riley | |
|---|---|
|
Governor of Arkansas Acting |
|
|
In office January 3, 1975 – January 14, 1975 |
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| Preceded by | Dale Bumpers |
| Succeeded by | David Pryor |
| 12th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas | |
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In office January 12, 1971 – January 14, 1975 |
|
| Governor | Dale Bumpers |
| Preceded by | Maurice Britt |
| Succeeded by | Joe Purcell |
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives | |
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In office 1946–1950 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bob Cowley Riley September 18, 1924 Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Died | February 16, 1994 (aged 69) Arkadelphia, Arkansas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Claudia Riley (1956–1994; his death) |
Bob Cowley Riley (September 18, 1924 – February 16, 1994) was an American educator and politician who served as Acting Governor of Arkansas for 11 days in 1975. He had previously been a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1946 to 1950, the mayor of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in 1966 and 1967, and the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975. Riley wore a black eyepatch because of an injury sustained in World War II.
Riley was born in Little Rock, the son of Columbus Allen Riley and the former Winnie Mae Craig. He attended public schools in Little Rock. He dropped out of high school after Pearl Harbor to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. On July 24, 1944, Riley, based in Guam, led a rifle squad assault against a Japanese machine gun emplacement. The attack nearly cost Riley his life. His severe wounds kept him hospitalized for more than a year. Not only was his vision impaired, his limbs were battered, and he was in pain thereafter. His left eye was removed, and although he had some perception of light in his right eye for a time, it quickly faded and he became completely blind.
After World War II service, Riley graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1950 and 1951, respectively.
Riley served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Pulaski County (Little Rock) from 1946 to 1950 even though he was in Washington County at the university for the majority of the time during his legislative tenure. In 1950, he failed in a bid for the Arkansas State Senate. For a while, he was an insurance salesman.
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