John W. “Bill” Riser
A Lifetime Of Service To Others
January 4,1934 – August 17, 2020
The late Bill Riser was a big man in both works and stature. He was born and raised in Bowman, South Carolina. He attended Clemson University on a basketball scholarship where he was a starter as a Junior and Senior on the Tiger Team.
Upon graduation from Clemson in 1957 with an Agricultural Education degree, Bill Riser served the Extension Service in the following capacities: Assistant County Agent, Aiken County, 1957-1959; Assistant County Agent, Saluda County, 1959-1971; County Agent, Saluda County, 1971-1975; County Agent, Richland County, 1975-1989.
While working in Aiken County, he was responsible for 4-H Youth Work and General Agriculture. He also helped a lot with activities at 4-H Camp Long in Aiken, S.C.
In Saluda County, he built one of the strongest 4-H Agriculture Programs in the state. These youth projects included dairy, beef, swine, and poultry. His dairy, livestock, poultry, and soil 4-H judging teams were regular State Winners and also did well in National Competitions.
While in Saluda County he served as secretary of the following organizations: Saluda Artificial Breeding Cooperative, Central Milk Producers, Ridge Mutual Ginnery, Ridge Farmers Mutual, Monetta Peach Packers, Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association, and the South Carolina Guernsey Cattle Club.
In Saluda County, Bill Riser also wrote a regular weekly news article, “From the River to the Ridge.” He also did twice-weekly radio shows and was a regular guest on Columbia, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia television special reports.
While in Saluda he worked to start the Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association, the Annual Feeder Calf Sales, and the Saluda Fat Stock Shows at Saluda Livestock Market. He worked daily with all agriculture commodities in this very diversified farming county. He was instrumental in the building of the new Central Milk Producers Show and Sale Arena. This facility was paid for by a one-cent per hundredweight milk check off by local dairymen.
Bill Riser followed Bob Bailey as Richland County Agent in 1975. It was here that he began his excellent job of promoting Agriculture and the Clemson University Extension Service statewide through television, radio, and newspaper. The “Early Riser Show” was a ten-minute feature each morning on WIS TV from 1975-1989. He also had a daily radio show on both WIS and WSCQ. During this same period, he had a twice a week agriculture column entitled, “On the Farms of SC” in the State Paper. He ended each TV and Radio show with “So long for now folks.” He also helped to start Richland County Extension Satellite Offices at Dutch Square and Richland Mall.
Bill Riser served as President of the South Carolina County Agents Association and Epsilon Sigma Phi.
Awards received by Bill Riser include: A. Frank Lever County Extension Agent Hall of Fame, Distinguished Service Award from the South Carolina County Agents Association and the National County Agents Association; Distinguished Service Award from the South Carolina 4-H Agents Association; Clemson Extension Retiree’s Cooperative Council Award; Conservationist of the Year by the Lexington County Soil and Water Conservation District; Presented Key to City by Mayor of Columbia; Award for Outstanding Work and Dedication from the Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association; Outstanding Service Award from the Lexington County Extension Service Office; Friend of Family Award from SC Home Economics Association; Distinguished Service Award from the South Carolina Guernsey Cattle Club.
Bill Riser was a long time IPTAY representative in both Saluda and Lexington Counties. He was a Tiger Scholarship Donor.
After his retirement from the Clemson Extension Service, he served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives- House District 69 for eleven years. He served on both the Agriculture and Ways and Means Committees.
Bill Riser spent his entire life working for the people of South Carolina. He was a dedicated public servant that helped both adults and youth in many, many ways to improve their lives. He took particular pride in teaching young people about farming through 4-H programs.
Respectfully Submitted:
Philip R. Perry
County Agent Emeritus
