Frieda J. 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. Riley was an alumna of Alpha Sigma Alpha, Beta Pi Chapter at Concord College. Freida Riley died of Hodgkin's Disease on Tuesday, August 5, 1969, in the West Virginia University Medical Center in Morgantown.Since 2000, the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation presents the Freida J. Riley Teacher Award to an American teacher who works with a physical disability, teaches in an especially challenging educational environment, or has performed a heroic act by making an exceptional, personal or physical sacrifice on behalf of students. The Award is a $10,000 prize plus travel expenses to the awards ceremony.Miss Riley had a tremendous influence on her students from McDowell County, West Virginia--Homer Hickam, Jimmy Carroll, Roy Lee Cooke, Willie Rose and Quentin Wilson--whose lives and their desire to launch rockets were depicted in the novel the Rocket Boys, written by Homer Hickam, and the subsequent 1999 feature film October Sky. The Rocket Boys were the inspirational speakers at the 1999 National Gallery. Their obvious devotion to their teacher, after more than 40 years, was the catalyst for sponsoring an award honoring educators. Show less «