Vern Riffe

Vern Riffe
96th Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives
In office January 6, 1975 - January 2, 1995
Preceded by	A. G. Lancione
Succeeded by	Jo Ann Davidson
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 92nd district
In office January 3, 1967 – December 31, 1994
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	William L. Ogg
Personal details
Born	(1925-06-25)June 25, 1925 New Boston, Ohio
Died	July 31, 1997(1997-07-31) (aged 72) Columbus, Ohio
Political party	Democratic

Vernal G. Riffe Jr. (June 26, 1925 – July 31, 1997) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. Riffe served Ohio House of Representatives for 36 years and was the longest-serving speaker of that institution, holding the speakership for 20 years.

Life and political career

Riffe was a moderate Democrat who brought Republican members of the House under his sway by threatening to fund the campaigns of their Democratic opponents for re-election.

Riffe, who hailed from the impoverished Appalachian Region of southeastern Ohio, fought hard to bring money for development to his corner of the state. His efforts resulted in the creation of Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, sometimes referred to as "Vern Riffe U." He also brought funding to southern Ohio for the building of a major highway, State Route 32, disparaged as the "Highway to Nowhere," which starts in the countryside near Athens, Ohio, in the east and winds its way westward across Southern Ohio, finally ending in rural Clermont County east of Cincinnati. At the time of its construction, it traversed no major population centers, stopping short of both Cincinnati and Athens. Today, it is referred to as the Appalachian Highway or the James A. Rhodes Appalachian Highway.

Riffe was honored by several state agencies in Ohio. The Vernal Riffe Chair, a professorship in government at Ohio State University was named after him. Ohio State's Biological Sciences and Pharmacy Library is housed in the Vernal G. Riffe Building. The Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, located across High Street from the Ohio Statehouse in Downtown Columbus, provides office space for the Governor of Ohio, members of the Ohio House of Representatives and many state agencies. The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in Portsmouth is located at Shawnee State University.

Riffe served as a member of the Ohio House for 36 years, from 1959 to 1995, and served as speaker from 1975 until 1994. Because of his power to raise funds, Riffe's departure from the political scene was a major financial blow to the Ohio Democratic Party.

Riffe's wife, Thelma L Riffe, is also deceased (August 4, 2010). Both are buried at Memorial Burial Park in Wheelersburg, Ohio.

Buildings named after

The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts is located on the Campus of Shawnee State; the Vern Riffe School is located in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts is located in Columbus, Ohio.

Autobiography

An autobiographical book, Whatever's Fair, co-written by Cliff Treyens, a former Columbus Dispatch writer, was published in the spring of 2007 and celebrated the life and career of Riffe. 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.

External links

• Ohio Historical Society
• Shawnee State University
• Vern Riffe Center for the Arts
• Official Site of the Ohio Government