Honorable Thomas S. Riley | |
|---|---|
 Photograph portrait, published in 1919 | |
| 11th Attorney General of West Virginia | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Governor | William A. MacCorkle |
| Preceded by | Alfred Caldwell Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Edgar P. Rucker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 8, 1852 Marshall County, Virginia (present-day West Virginia), U.S. |
| Died | December 28, 1938 (aged 86) Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Calvary Cemetery, Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Catherine Philomenia "Minnie" Breinig |
| Children | Thomas S. Riley James B. Riley Robert J. Riley |
| Parent(s) | Owen Riley (father) Mary Dailey Riley (mother) |
| Alma mater | Fairmont State Normal School West Liberty State Normal School |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician, and businessperson |
Thomas Sylvester Riley (né Thomas Owen Riley; January 8, 1852 – December 28, 1938) was an American lawyer, politician, and businessperson who was based in West Virginia. Riley was the state's eleventh attorney general from March 4, 1893, until March 3, 1897.
Riley was born to Irish immigrant parents in Marshall County, which was then part of Virginia. He graduated from West Liberty State Normal School in 1877, and subsequently read law under Wheeling-based lawyer James Dallas Ewing, and was admitted to practice law in 1878. He formed a partnership with Ewing, which was later joined by West Virginia attorney general Thayer Melvin. In 1887, Riley was elected chairperson of the West Virginia Democratic Party State Executive Committee, serving until 1892.
From 1890 to 1892, Riley served on the Board of Regents for West Virginia State Normal Schools. He was elected Wheeling’s city solicitor in 1891 and the following year, he was elected West Virginia's attorney general. Riley unsuccessfully ran for election to represent West Virginia's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in 1906 and was appointed to the West Virginia School Book Commission in 1912. Riley continued to practice law until his death.
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