Vern Riffe
| Vern Riffe | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 97th Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives | |
|
In office January 6, 1975 - January 2, 1995 |
|
| Preceded by | A. G. Lancione |
| Succeeded by | Jo Ann Davidson |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 92nd district |
|
|
In office January 3, 1967 – December 31, 1994 |
|
| Preceded by | District established |
| Succeeded by | William L. Ogg |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 25, 1925 New Boston, Ohio |
| Died | July 31, 1997 (aged 72) Columbus, Ohio |
| Political party | Democratic |
Vernal G. Riffe Jr. (June 25, 1925 – July 31, 1997) was an American politician of the Democratic party. Riffe served for many years in the Ohio House of Representatives and was the longest serving speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in the history of that institution, holding that office for 20 years.
Riffe, a moderate Democrat, was an exceptionally strong Speaker, even bringing Republican members of the House under his sway by threatening to fund the campaigns of their Democratic opponents for re-election.
Riffe, who hailed from the impoverished Appalachian Region of southeastern Ohio, fought hard to bring money for development to his corner of the state. Riffe's efforts resulted in the creation of Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, sometimes referred to as "Vern Riffe U." He also brought funding to southern Ohio for the building of a major highway, Ohio 32, disparaged as the "Highway to Nowhere," which starts in the countryside near Athens, Ohio, in the east and winds its way westward across Southern Ohio, finally ending in rural Clermont County east of Cincinnati. At the time of its construction it traversed no major population centers, stopping short of both Cincinnati and Athens. Today, it is referred to as the Appalachian Highway or the James A. Rhodes Appalachian Highway.
Riffe has been honored by several state agencies in Ohio. The Vernal Riffe Chair, a professorship in government at The Ohio State University is named after him. Ohio State's Department of Biochemistry is housed in the Vernal G. Riffe Building. The Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, located across High Street from the Ohio Statehouse in Downtown Columbus, provides office space for the Governor of Ohio, members of the Ohio House of Representatives and many state agencies. The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in Portsmouth is located at Shawnee State University.
...
Wikipedia