RILEY, HARLAND K., horticulturist and educator, was born in Gueydan, La., May 11, 1905, son of Ted F. and Hattie (Kiefer) Riley. His father was a merchant and farmer.
Harland K. Riley received his preliminary education at public schools in his native community and was graduated B.S. in 1926 at Louisiana state University and M.S. in 1927 at Iowa State University. During 1944-48 hid did additional graduate work at Purdue University and Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. Meanwhile, in 1927 he joined the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station as an entomologist and continued in that capacity to 1931. In the latter year Riley joined the faculty of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, as an assistant professor of horticulture. Advanced to associate professor of horticulture in 1935, he became a full professor of horticulture in 1939 and remained in that post to his retirement in 1969, after 1958 holding the endowed chair Edwin L. Stephens honor professor of the sciences. In addition, he was head of the university's department of plant industry from 1940 to his retirement. During his career as an educator, Riley taught hundreds of students who later reached positions of importance in their fields of work. In addition to his regular duties at the university, he was for a time vice-chairman of the university's standards committee, and he served on the campus planning and honors committees and the committees on fraternities, student relations, and professional organizations. He was also chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society for the university, and he served for a term as president of the chapter. Furthermore, he was chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Alpha Zeta national honor society in agriculture, and he became a member of that chapter. Following his retirement in 1969 Riley remained active in his field, serving on panels and attending workshops sponsored by the university. During his career he worked closely with the Louisiana Garden Clubs and with nurserymen and vegetable growers. For a number of years he maintained many testing plots for various seed companies throughout the country in order to learn which varieties were best suited to the southeastern part of the country.
During the First World War he was a captain in the Louisiana National Guard. In 1965 he received the L. M. Ware Teaching Award of the American Society for Horticultural Science in recognition of his distinguished teaching career, and the Outstanding College Teacher of Horticulture award of the southern region chapter of that society. In recognition of his contribution to horticulture, in 1972 he was named the first honorary member of the Louisiana Greenhouse Vegetable Growers' Association. He was a member of the American Society for Horticultural Science, Louisiana Sweet Potato Association, Sigma Chi, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Tau Sigma Delta, Sigma Alpha Gamma, and Scabbard and Blade. Politically he was a Democrat.
His hobbies included photography, woodworking, high-fidelity sound equipment, and floriculture.
He was married in New Orleans, La., July 31, 1934, to Josephine, daughter of Perry Merchant and Clara (Roth) Cripe of Lafayette, Ind. Harland K. Riley died without issue in Lafayette, La., Aug. 16, 1972.
Contributor: Greg de Valcourt (48099568)
Harland K. Riley received his preliminary education at public schools in his native community and was graduated B.S. in 1926 at Louisiana state University and M.S. in 1927 at Iowa State University. During 1944-48 hid did additional graduate work at Purdue University and Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. Meanwhile, in 1927 he joined the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station as an entomologist and continued in that capacity to 1931. In the latter year Riley joined the faculty of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, as an assistant professor of horticulture. Advanced to associate professor of horticulture in 1935, he became a full professor of horticulture in 1939 and remained in that post to his retirement in 1969, after 1958 holding the endowed chair Edwin L. Stephens honor professor of the sciences. In addition, he was head of the university's department of plant industry from 1940 to his retirement. During his career as an educator, Riley taught hundreds of students who later reached positions of importance in their fields of work. In addition to his regular duties at the university, he was for a time vice-chairman of the university's standards committee, and he served on the campus planning and honors committees and the committees on fraternities, student relations, and professional organizations. He was also chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society for the university, and he served for a term as president of the chapter. Furthermore, he was chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Alpha Zeta national honor society in agriculture, and he became a member of that chapter. Following his retirement in 1969 Riley remained active in his field, serving on panels and attending workshops sponsored by the university. During his career he worked closely with the Louisiana Garden Clubs and with nurserymen and vegetable growers. For a number of years he maintained many testing plots for various seed companies throughout the country in order to learn which varieties were best suited to the southeastern part of the country.
During the First World War he was a captain in the Louisiana National Guard. In 1965 he received the L. M. Ware Teaching Award of the American Society for Horticultural Science in recognition of his distinguished teaching career, and the Outstanding College Teacher of Horticulture award of the southern region chapter of that society. In recognition of his contribution to horticulture, in 1972 he was named the first honorary member of the Louisiana Greenhouse Vegetable Growers' Association. He was a member of the American Society for Horticultural Science, Louisiana Sweet Potato Association, Sigma Chi, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Tau Sigma Delta, Sigma Alpha Gamma, and Scabbard and Blade. Politically he was a Democrat.
His hobbies included photography, woodworking, high-fidelity sound equipment, and floriculture.
He was married in New Orleans, La., July 31, 1934, to Josephine, daughter of Perry Merchant and Clara (Roth) Cripe of Lafayette, Ind. Harland K. Riley died without issue in Lafayette, La., Aug. 16, 1972.
Contributor: Greg de Valcourt (48099568)
RILEY, HARLAND K., horticulturist and educator, was born in Gueydan, La., May 11, 1905, son of Ted F. and Hattie (Kiefer) Riley. His father was a merchant and farmer.
Harland K. Riley received his preliminary education at public schools in his native community and was graduated B.S. in 1926 at Louisiana state University and M.S. in 1927 at Iowa State University. During 1944-48 hid did additional graduate work at Purdue University and Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. Meanwhile, in 1927 he joined the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station as an entomologist and continued in that capacity to 1931. In the latter year Riley joined the faculty of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, as an assistant professor of horticulture. Advanced to associate professor of horticulture in 1935, he became a full professor of horticulture in 1939 and remained in that post to his retirement in 1969, after 1958 holding the endowed chair Edwin L. Stephens honor professor of the sciences. In addition, he was head of the university's department of plant industry from 1940 to his retirement. During his career as an educator, Riley taught hundreds of students who later reached positions of importance in their fields of work. In addition to his regular duties at the university, he was for a time vice-chairman of the university's standards committee, and he served on the campus planning and honors committees and the committees on fraternities, student relations, and professional organizations. He was also chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society for the university, and he served for a term as president of the chapter. Furthermore, he was chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Alpha Zeta national honor society in agriculture, and he became a member of that chapter. Following his retirement in 1969 Riley remained active in his field, serving on panels and attending workshops sponsored by the university. During his career he worked closely with the Louisiana Garden Clubs and with nurserymen and vegetable growers. For a number of years he maintained many testing plots for various seed companies throughout the country in order to learn which varieties were best suited to the southeastern part of the country.
During the First World War he was a captain in the Louisiana National Guard. In 1965 he received the L. M. Ware Teaching Award of the American Society for Horticultural Science in recognition of his distinguished teaching career, and the Outstanding College Teacher of Horticulture award of the southern region chapter of that society. In recognition of his contribution to horticulture, in 1972 he was named the first honorary member of the Louisiana Greenhouse Vegetable Growers' Association. He was a member of the American Society for Horticultural Science, Louisiana Sweet Potato Association, Sigma Chi, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Tau Sigma Delta, Sigma Alpha Gamma, and Scabbard and Blade. Politically he was a Democrat.
His hobbies included photography, woodworking, high-fidelity sound equipment, and floriculture.
He was married in New Orleans, La., July 31, 1934, to Josephine, daughter of Perry Merchant and Clara (Roth) Cripe of Lafayette, Ind. Harland K. Riley died without issue in Lafayette, La., Aug. 16, 1972.
Contributor: Greg de Valcourt (48099568)
Harland K. Riley received his preliminary education at public schools in his native community and was graduated B.S. in 1926 at Louisiana state University and M.S. in 1927 at Iowa State University. During 1944-48 hid did additional graduate work at Purdue University and Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. Meanwhile, in 1927 he joined the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station as an entomologist and continued in that capacity to 1931. In the latter year Riley joined the faculty of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, as an assistant professor of horticulture. Advanced to associate professor of horticulture in 1935, he became a full professor of horticulture in 1939 and remained in that post to his retirement in 1969, after 1958 holding the endowed chair Edwin L. Stephens honor professor of the sciences. In addition, he was head of the university's department of plant industry from 1940 to his retirement. During his career as an educator, Riley taught hundreds of students who later reached positions of importance in their fields of work. In addition to his regular duties at the university, he was for a time vice-chairman of the university's standards committee, and he served on the campus planning and honors committees and the committees on fraternities, student relations, and professional organizations. He was also chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society for the university, and he served for a term as president of the chapter. Furthermore, he was chairman of a faculty committee which secured a chapter of Alpha Zeta national honor society in agriculture, and he became a member of that chapter. Following his retirement in 1969 Riley remained active in his field, serving on panels and attending workshops sponsored by the university. During his career he worked closely with the Louisiana Garden Clubs and with nurserymen and vegetable growers. For a number of years he maintained many testing plots for various seed companies throughout the country in order to learn which varieties were best suited to the southeastern part of the country.
During the First World War he was a captain in the Louisiana National Guard. In 1965 he received the L. M. Ware Teaching Award of the American Society for Horticultural Science in recognition of his distinguished teaching career, and the Outstanding College Teacher of Horticulture award of the southern region chapter of that society. In recognition of his contribution to horticulture, in 1972 he was named the first honorary member of the Louisiana Greenhouse Vegetable Growers' Association. He was a member of the American Society for Horticultural Science, Louisiana Sweet Potato Association, Sigma Chi, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Tau Sigma Delta, Sigma Alpha Gamma, and Scabbard and Blade. Politically he was a Democrat.
His hobbies included photography, woodworking, high-fidelity sound equipment, and floriculture.
He was married in New Orleans, La., July 31, 1934, to Josephine, daughter of Perry Merchant and Clara (Roth) Cripe of Lafayette, Ind. Harland K. Riley died without issue in Lafayette, La., Aug. 16, 1972.
Contributor: Greg de Valcourt (48099568)
