The Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation was formed in 1985 to honor the memory of Charles Valentine Riley. For access to the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation Records and related material or for additional information about the treasures within Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library, please e-mail Special Collections.

In May of 1984, Emilie Wenban-Smith Brash, granddaughter of Charles Valentine Riley, presented a gift on behalf of her aunt Cathryn's Trust to the Secretary of Agriculture, John Block, to be used to support activities to honor Charles Valentine Riley. Resources from this original gift were used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to plan and conduct the original Riley Memorials Program with the assistance of an advisory group originally chaired by Edward H. Smith of Cornell University and later by Ross S. Whaley of Syracuse University. Others involved included John C. Gordon of Yale University, Durward F. Bateman of North Carolina State University, Gideon D. Hill of E. I. Du Pont Co., I. Garth Youngberg of the Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, Harry C. Mussman, then with the National Food Processors Association, Dan M. Martin of the MacArthur Foundation, and Raymond J. Miller of the University of Maryland.

Those involved in the advisory group came from a relatively wide array of disciplines, organizations, and backgrounds. As is often the case, the dynamics of the group superseded its proximal purpose. In the course of their meetings they realized, more or less quickly, several things. First, they came to appreciate that Riley was considerably more than a pioneering entomologist and that his larger vision was not fully appreciated by many less familiar with his history. Second, the group felt that they knew what agriculture was, and knew how to explain this to people, including each other. But, third (and this took place more slowly), they grew to realize that their explanations all differed in important respects. For example, was agriculture the "food and fiber production system?" This seemed descriptive, but where were water and air and "open space?" And fourth (even more slowly, particularly for those from academia and government), they came to realize that the lack of common understanding about agriculture was both a challenge and an opportunity to honor Riley by articulating and forwarding his vision. It was obviously a challenge, because if the "experts" couldn't explain agriculture to each other, how could they expect the typical citizen - an urban or suburban dweller with no connection to a farm or the rural landscape - to understand it? Thus, understanding of agriculture in its broadest sense emerged as possibly the most appropriate framework within which to memorialize Riley.

Despite the magnitude and complexity of the challenge, the advisory group for the Riley Memorials Program embraced the broad vision of Charles Valentine Riley and the recognition of a serious need to enhance the public's understanding of agriculture and the contributions that scientific knowledge makes to everyone"s welfare. The original advisory group was joined in 1985 by several additional individuals to form the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. These included John (Duke) S. Barr III, a farmer from Louisiana; Bennie I. Osburn, of the University of California at Davis; Earl R. Swanson of the University of Illinois; Robert Tweedy, representing farm machinery manufacturers; and Emilie Brash. It should be emphasized that Cathryn Vedalia Riley's desire to honor her father and the Trustee's overture to the U.S. Department of Agriculture were proximal causes of the creation of the Riley Memorial Foundation.

The premise upon which the Riley Memorial Foundation was formed was described in the preamble to the Articles of Incorporation filed with the Government of the District of Columbia on August 27, 1985:

"The systematic acquisition of food, clothing, and shelter was the earliest form of collective human activity and gave birth to civilization. Industry, art, and science are all products of a civilization founded on and supported by agriculture. Thus, agriculture, directly or indirectly, touches all aspects of human activity."

"While much has been gained during the evolution of agriculture from hunting and gathering to settled crops and animal production and thence to complex modern systems for producing and distributing food, fiber, and shelter, much also has been lost. Generally, throughout the developed world, agriculture is no longer recognized as central to human life and culture. However, over the long term, societies with unhealthy agricultures fail."

The perspective in the preamble provided the basis for defining the original goals of the Riley Foundation (Riley Memorial Foundation 1991):

"to promote a broader and more complete understanding of agriculture as the most basic human endeavor, . . . to make secure the lever that is agriculture and its fulcrum, the natural environment, during this and succeeding generations, [and]. . . to facilitate the exchange of disparate views between individuals and groups and to make these views more apparent to the public at large without being an advocate for any particular point of view."

The Riley Foundation was formally organized on November 4, 1985, when the bylaws were adopted and a memorandum of agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Riley Foundation was signed by the then Secretary of Agriculture John Block and the first President of the Board of Directors of the Riley Foundation, John Gordon. Documents related to the establishment of the Charles Valentine Riley Memorials Program by USDA and on the operation of the Riley Foundation from 1985 through 2006 are housed in Special Collections and named the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation Records.

For additional information click on the Riley Memorial Foundation contact:

Richard Ridgway
Secretary-Treasurer
Riley Memorial Foundation
4613 Wildhoney Court
Flower Mound, TX 75022
Email Richard Ridgway

Publications, Reports, and Manuscripts in the Special Collections

Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. A Status Report. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. New York, NY. 1987. 4 pp.

The Health of the Land and Its People. Proceedings of a forum held October 29-31, 1986, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Lanham, MD. 1988. 28 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB88-101574).

The Health of the Land and Its People. Draft transcripts and manuscripts from a forum held October 29-31, 1986, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Lanham, MD. 1989. 23 docs.

National Initiatives on Investing in Research: Food, Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Environment. Summary of Science and Technology Round Table held on February 24, 1990, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Lantham, MD. 1990. 5 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB90-195504).

New Directions in Agriculture. Presentations on the Occasion of the Awarding of the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Prize on November 10, 1988 in New Haven, CT. Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. New Haven, CT. Unpublished report. 1991. 58 pp.

Enhancing the Safety of America's Food Supply. Proceedings of Food Safety Round Table held on November 21, 1991, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Lanham, MD. 1992. 11 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB93-101582.)

Science Communications and Enhanced Agricultural Policy. Proceedings of Science Communications Round Table held on November 16, 1993, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Lanham, MD. 1994. 12 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB95-109187).

Integrating Science Into Policy or Science Policy and the Public Interest.Summary of working a Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Environmental Resources Round Table held on November 15, 1994 in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. College Park, MD. 1995. 13 pp.

Learning from the Grassroots: Input for Federal Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Programs. Summary of listening sessions held in May and June, 1995, in Philadelphia, PA, Minneapolis, MN, Portland, OR, and Atlanta, GA. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, College Park, MD. 1995. 31 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB95-2656468)

Food and Agricultural Research in Changing Times: Highlights of a National Round Table. Proceedings of a round table held on June 16, 1995, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, College Park, MD. 1995. 18 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB95-2656476)

The Legacy and Vision of Charles Valentine Riley: Entomology and Beyond. Adapted from a Presentation at a Symposium on Achievements and Future of the Science of Entomology held on April 18-19, 1995, in Columbia, MO. Agricultural Research Service, USDA, and Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Beltsville, MD. Unpublished manuscript. 1997. 24 pp.

Agricultural Production and Natural Resource Conservation: Preliminary Assessments of Selected Projects. Assessment of selected cooperative projects for exploring opportunities to strengthen linkages between economically viable agricultural-production and natural-resource-conservation activities. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. 1997. 10 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB98-100266)

Productivity and Conservation: Working Toward Common Goals. A report to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation on four regional workshops, a national round table and briefings held between September 30, 1997, and August 31, 1998. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. Silver Spring, MD. 1998. 14 pp.

Productivity and Conservation: Working Toward Common Goals. Supplements to a restricted use report to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation on four regional workshops, a national round table and briefings held between September 30, 1997, and August 31, 1998. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. Silver Spring, MD. 1998. 45 pp.

Alien Invasive Species. A summary of a public dialog exploring new solutions to an old and persistent problem. Dialog organized as a prelude the Riley Memorial Foundation Program on invasive species by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Yale University, New Haven, CT. 1998. 40 pp.

Invasive Species. A report on a briefing session for the U. S. Geological Survey and the National Agricultural Library. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. 1999. 3 pp.

Invasive Species Databases: Proceedings of a Workshop. Proceedings of a workshop held on November 12-13, 1998, in Las Vegas, NV. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. 1999. 50 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB99-132003)

Reducing Foodborne Illness: Advancing the Adoption of Technologies. Proceedings of a workshop held on December 12-13, 1999, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. 2000. 45 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB2000-108252)

Invasive Species: Importance, Status and Needs. A coalition briefing paper endorsed by 27 organizations coordinated by the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. Silver Spring, MD. 2001. 9 pp.

Invasive Species Stakeholders: Collecting, Sharing and Using Information. Proceedings of a round table held on April 26, 2000, in Washington, DC. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. 2001. 57 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB2001-102898)

Western Rangeland Noxious Weeds: Collecting, Sharing and Using Information. Proceedings of a Workshop held on September 6-7, 2000, in Phoenix, AZ. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. 2001. 46 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB2001-107838)

Delivery of Digital Information on Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: An Assessment of the Agriculture Network Information Center. A collaboration between the United States Agricultural Information Network, the Agricultural Network Information Center, and the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. 2003. 14 pp. (NTIS Accession No. PB2003-101675)

Friends for the National Agricultural Library. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Washington, DC. 2004. 16 pp.

The Impact of Technological Change in Agriculture on Poverty and Armed Conflict. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture Series. Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Texas A&M University System, and USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library. 2006. 37 pp.