Mayor Riley

Mayor RileyMayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. is widely considered one of the most visionary and highly effective governmental leaders in America. Mayor Riley was first elected mayor of Charleston in December 1975, and went on to serve an unprecedented ten terms. During Riley's 40-year tenure as mayor, the City of Charleston saw a substantial decrease in crime, a revitalization of the historic downtown business district, the creation and growth of Spoleto Festival U.S.A, an expansion of the city's park system, and the development of nationally-acclaimed affordable housing. 

Joseph P. Riley, Jr. was born in Charleston in 1943. He graduated from Bishop England High School, The Citadel in 1964, and the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1967. In 1968, Mayor Riley was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he served for six years. Mayor Riley has received honorary degrees from The Citadel, the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Winthrop University, and the College of Charleston. 

 

The following is a partial list of Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr.'s Accomplishments and Accolades:

  • 1982: Verner Award by the South Carolina Arts Commission for outstanding contribution to the arts.
  • 1985: Received the Order of the Palmetto
  • 1986-1987: Served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and served on the Executive Committee for many years following
  • 1988-1992: Served as the Chairman of the Cities Task Force of the Southern Growth Policies Board and served as President of the National Association of Democratic Mayors
  • 1991: Named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City & County
  • 1999: Received the Scenic America Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2000: Awarded the first President's Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors for outstanding leadership, was honored as the first recipient of the Urban Land Institute's J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionary Urban Development, and received the Arthur J. Clement Award in Race Relations for his battle to remove the confederate flag from the S.C. Statehouse
  • 2002: Awarded the Keystone Award by the American Architectural Foundation for exemplary leadership in using architecture to transform the community
  • 2004: Named one of the Giants of Design by House Beautiful Magazine and awarded the American Society of Landscape Architects Olmstead
  • 2005: Received the South Carolina Governor's Award in Humanities
  • 2009: President Barack Obama presented Mayor Riley with the National Medal of the Arts for cultivating Charleston's historic and cultural resources to enhance public spaces 
  • 2010: The American Architectural Foundation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors created The Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Award for Leadership in City Design in his honor
  • 2016: Inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame
  • 2023: Received the Alumni Award of Honor from the College of Charleston's Alumni Association

Mayor Riley

Mayor Riley on King Street Play video

Mayor Riley opened the 24th annual Congress for the New Urbanism in Detroit on June 4, 2016. He was first elected mayor of Charleston, SC in December 1975 and ended his 40 years in office in 2016. Riley led city government with an impressive record of innovation in public safety, housing, arts and culture, children's issues, the creation of park and other public spaces, and economic revitalization and development.