Alaska Territorial Governor. A graduate of Princeton University, he settled in Fairbanks. Alaska in the late 1890s and became active in the lumber business. He took part in the Alaska Boundary Survey from 1906 to 1913, received his certification as an engineer, and after was a federal appointee in charge of choosing sites and overseeing construction of the Alaska Railroad. In 1918 he was appointed Governor, and served until 1921, also serving as a Delegate to the 1920 Democratic National Convention. During his governorship Alaska was particularly hard hit by the 1918 influenza epidemic, and Riggs depleted the territory's treasury to care for victims, especially young children who were made orphans when their parents were killed by the disease. In 1936 Riggs was appointed to the International Boundary Commission, the organization that fixed the borders of Canada, the northern United States and Alaska, and served until his death. In 1947, the American Geographical Society named the Riggs Glacier in his honor.
Alaska Territorial Governor. A graduate of Princeton University, he settled in Fairbanks. Alaska in the late 1890s and became active in the lumber business. He took part in the Alaska Boundary Survey from 1906 to 1913, received his certification as an engineer, and after was a federal appointee in charge of choosing sites and overseeing construction of the Alaska Railroad. In 1918 he was appointed Governor, and served until 1921, also serving as a Delegate to the 1920 Democratic National Convention. During his governorship Alaska was particularly hard hit by the 1918 influenza epidemic, and Riggs depleted the territory's treasury to care for victims, especially young children who were made orphans when their parents were killed by the disease. In 1936 Riggs was appointed to the International Boundary Commission, the organization that fixed the borders of Canada, the northern United States and Alaska, and served until his death. In 1947, the American Geographical Society named the Riggs Glacier in his honor.
Bio by: Bill McKern
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Riggs memorials in:
Advertisement
