Background
Riley was born in Squire, West Virginia, to J.F. and Sallie Beavers Riley.
Riley was born in Squire, West Virginia, to J.F. and Sallie Beavers Riley.
She graduated from Big Creek High School, Concord College, and completed graduate work at Ohio State University and West Virginia University.
She taught at Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia during the late 1950s and early 1960s while suffering from Hodgkin"s disease. Riley was an alumna of Alpha Sigma Alpha, Beta Pi Chapter at Concord College. Riley was depicted by actress Laura Dern in the feature film October Sky, which was based on Rocket Boys.
She also appeared in Hickam"s two follow-up memoirs entitled The Coalwood Way (2000) and Sky of Stone (2002).
The Freida J. Riley Award was established in her honor and is awarded annually to an American educator who overcomes adversity or makes an enormous sacrifice to positively impact students. Concord College has also established an annual scholarship in Riley"s name.
Freida Riley died of Hodgkin"s disease on Tuesday, August 5, 1969, in the West Virginia University Medical Center in Morgantown. She was 32 years old.
She is interred at Grandview Memory Gardens in Bluefield, Virginia.