James McIlvaine Riley

James McIlvaine "Mac" Riley (May 16, 1849 – May 6, 1911) was an American civil engineer and fraternity founder. He worked for the United States Army Corps of Engineers on the Mississippi River and was a surveyor with the City of St. Louis. While in college at the Virginia Military Institute, he was one of the founders of the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Early life Riley was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 16, 1849. His parents were Ann Chichester Sandford (née Tapscott) and James McIlvaine Riley Sr., a grocer and commission merchant with the firm Riley & Christy. His father died on November 26, 1848, before Riley's birth. His cousin, Marshall McDonald, was an adjunct professor of chemistry, mineralogy and geology at VMI. Riley was elected the first Commander (or president) of the chapter in the spring of 1869. Six Sigma Nu brothers were pallbearers and placed white roses on his grave.

Riley's Sigma Nu badge was added to the fraternity's archives. The fraternity installed a monument at his grave in 1919.