Editing Vern Riffe

{{short description|American politician (1925 – 1997)}}

{{Multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=July 2018}}}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Vern Riffe
| image name = Vern Riffe.jpg
| office = 96th [[List of speakers of the Ohio House of Representatives|Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives]]
| term = January 6, 1975 - January 2, 1995
| predecessor = [[A. G. Lancione]]
| successor = [[Jo Ann Davidson]]
| state_house1 = Ohio
| state1 = Ohio
| district1 = 92nd
| term1 = January 3, 1967 – December 31, 1994
| preceded1 = ''District established''
| succeeded1 = [[William L. Ogg]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1925|6|25}}
| birth_place = [[New Boston, Ohio]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|7|31|1925|6|25}}
| death_place = [[Columbus, Ohio]]|
}}

'''Vernal G. Riffe Jr.''' (June 26, 1925 – July 31, 1997)<ref>{{cite web |title=Vernal Gobel Riffe, Jr |url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6822298/vernal-gobel-riffe |website=FindAGrave.com}}</ref> was an American politician and member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. Riffe served in the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] for 36 years, from 1959 to 1995, and served as speaker for 19 years, from 1975 to 1994.

==Life and political career==
Vern Riffe's father, Vernal G. Riffe, Sr., was involved in local government in their hometown of [[New Boston, Ohio]], holding positions such as mayor, safety director, and police officer.[https://vrcfa.com/about/spaces/]

Riffe was a moderate Democrat.<ref name="Celebrating Riffe's Life">{{cite news|url=http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2007/06/26/news/local_news/1news_riffe.txt|title=Celebrating Riffe's Life|access-date=2007-06-26|author=Frank Lewis|newspaper=Portsmouth Daily Times}}</ref> He represented the 92nd District, which included [[Southern Ohio]].<ref name="Reviewing Mr. Speaker">{{cite news|url=http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2007/06/26/news/local_news/2news_book.txt|title=Reviewing 'Mr. Speaker'|access-date=2007-06-26|author=Frank Lewis|newspaper=Portsmouth Daily Times}}</ref> He worked to secure funding for development projects in Southern Ohio.<ref name="Celebrating Riffe's Life" /> These projects included [[Shawnee State University]] in [[Portsmouth, Ohio|Portsmouth]]<ref name="Celebrating Riffe's Life" /> and [[Ohio State Route 32|State Route 32]], which has been referred to as both the "Highway to Nowhere" and the Appalachian Highway.<ref name="Celebrating Riffe's Life" /><ref name="Reviewing Mr. Speaker" />

Several state entities and programs in Ohio were named after Riffe. These include the Vernal Riffe Chair at [[Ohio State University]], the Vernal G. Riffe Building at Ohio State, the [[Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts]] in Columbus, and the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in [[Portsmouth, Ohio|Portsmouth]].

Thelma L. Riffe, Riffe's widow, died on August 4, 2010. Both are buried at Memorial Burial Park in [[Wheelersburg, Ohio]].

==Autobiography==
An autobiographical book, ''Whatever's Fair'', co-written by [[Cliff Treyes|Cliff Treyens]], a former ''[[Columbus Dispatch]]'' writer, was published in the spring of 2007.<ref name="Celebrating Riffe's Life"></ref> A gathering of family, friends, and former political colleagues was held the day before Riffe's birthday at the Portsmouth Welcome Center to introduce the book.<ref name="Reviewing Mr. Speaker" />

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ohiohistory.org/ Ohio Historical Society]
* [http://www.shawnee.edu/ Shawnee State University]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070630170208/http://www.shawnee.edu/off/vrc/index.html Vern Riffe Center for the Arts]
* [http://ohio.gov/ Official Site of the Ohio Government]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riffe, Vern}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:Speakers of the Ohio House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Ohio State University faculty]]
[[Category:People from Portsmouth, Ohio]]
[[Category:Shawnee State University]]
[[Category:People from New Boston, Ohio]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly]]