White House Historical Association

George W. Riley

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"George W. Riley," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whitehouseworkers.org/Detail/workers/607.
Position
Electrician
Years in President's House
circa 1908 – 1911
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Presidencies
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Biography
George William Riley was born in Morrisville, Virginia around 1870. Riley was an electrician and before his White House tenure, served as the head of electrical staff at the United States Military Academy at West Point. According to his obituary, he began working at the White House as an electrician in 1908 for President Theodore Roosevelt.1 He remained on staff when Roosevelt’s successor, William Howard Taft, became president in 1909. In 1911, Riley eloped with First Lady Helen Taft’s personal maid, Florence J. Marsh. Newspapers reported that their coworkers had suspected a mutual attraction. The marriage, however, came as a surprise to staff. The newlyweds left immediately for their honeymoon, and Riley informed the White House he would return to his duties, while his new wife left her employment (a common practice among women in domestic service at this time).2 Later that year, Riley began a new position as the chief electrician for the Bureau of Engraving until his retirement in 1935. He passed away on April 18, 1940 in Washington, D.C.3
  1. “George W. Riley,” The Washington Daily News, April 19, 1940, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1039745080/?match=1&terms=George W. Riley.
  2. “The Vital Spark,” The Barre daily times (Barre, Vermont), May 27, 1911, https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn91066782/1911-05-27/ed-1/?sp=4&r=0.386,0.701,0.451,0.269,0.
  3. “George W. Riley,” The Washington Daily News, April 19, 1940, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1039745080/?match=1&terms=George W. Riley.
Birthplace
Morrisville, Virginia, USA
Burial Place
Unclear from Context
Blue markers indicate birthplaces and green markers indicate burial places. Black markers are used for places of both birth and burial.
Related Worker
Florence J. Marsh
Lady's Maid, circa 1909 – 1911