Chester A. Riley (1916-1999) was raised in Huntington, graduated from Huntington High School and began his working career as a traveling secretary for the Cabell County Board of Education. He married his high school sweetheart and settled into family life. He was a dedicated husband, father of two and grandfather of six. His passion was to provide quality education to residents of the Tri-State.
In 1936, at age 20, Riley started Huntington Junior College in the Hines Building with only five students, offering courses in shorthand, typing and accounting. The college grew to include programs in court reporting, medical assisting and dental assisting and moved in 1985 to its current location, the former Cabell County Public Library.
Riley believed in providing affordable, quality education to all students and established policies that provided textbooks to students at no charge, allowed students to pay for their education on payment plans, and refused to increase tuition for his existing students. He was even known to personally assist students experiencing financial difficulties. His belief in education for the Tri-State community was so strong that the college maintains most of his original policies today.
Riley served as president of Huntington Junior College for more than 60 years.
