James McIlvaine Riley
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James McIlvaine Riley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 16, 1849 |
| Died | May 6, 1911 (aged 61) |
| Burial place | Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Other names | Mac Riley |
| Alma mater | Virginia Military Institute |
| Occupation | Civil Engineer |
| Employer(s) | United States Army Corps of Engineers City of St. Louis |
James McIlvaine "Mac" Riley (May 16, 1849 – May 6, 1911) was an American civil engineer and fraternity founder. He worked for the United States Army Corps of Engineers on the Mississippi River and was a surveyor with the City of St. Louis. While in college at the Virginia Military Institute, he was one of the founders of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
Riley was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 16, 1849.[1][2] His parents were Ann Chichester Sandford (née Tapscott) and James McIlvaine Riley Sr., a grocer and commission merchant with the firm Riley & Christy.[1][3] His father died on November 26, 1848, before Riley's birth.[1][3] His mother gave her right to her husband's estate to her stepfather, William R. Campbell.[3] Campbell was also named legal guardian to Riley.[3]
On December 30, 1852, Riley's mother married Clinton Odell Dutcher, a commission merchant.[3] The couple had four children; Riley's oldest half-sibling was seven years his junior.[3] When Campbell died in 1855, Dutcher uncle, Isaac Van Wert Dutcher, became Riley's new guardian.[3]
Riley enrolled in the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on October 4, 1866.[1] His cousin, Marshall McDonald, was an adjunct professor of chemistry, mineralogy and geology at VMI.[3] Riley was a member of VMI's first baseball team in the fall of 1866, playing second base and eventually serving as the team's captain.
While at VMI, James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and Riley became close friends and founded Sigma Nu fraternity on January 1, 1869.[4] Riley was elected the first Commander (or president) of the chapter in the spring of 1869.[3] He was reelected as Commander for the 1869 to 1870 academic year.[3]
Riley studied, engineering, geology, and mineralogy at VMI.[3] He graduated from VMI on July 4, 1870.[1] He helped plan the commencement ceremony as a member of the Committee of Arrangements.[3]
Career
After college, Riley worked in a salt mine in Warfield, Kentucky.[3] In 1871, he was hired to work in the engineering department of the Wabash Railroad, leading to jobs with the Missouri and Texas Railroad and the Pacific Railway between 1871 and 1878.[3] He went to Salt Lake City, Utah between 1874 and 1876 where he worked in mine development.[3]
In 1878, Riley began working as a civilian with the United States Army Corps of Engineers.[3] He was engaged to work on improvements on the Mississippi River.[3] He worked for the City of St. Louis as a surveyor with the street department.[3] He rotated between these two jobs for twenty years.[3] He retired for health reasons.[3]