<p>
<em>Dr. Leland S. "Buck" Riggs, Jr</em>. died 24 November 1993 after an extended illness with cancer. Surviving are his wife, the former Carol Hertling; son Steven Riggs and daughters Lisa Penhallegon and Paula Richards, all of Atlanta; brother Charles Riggs of Memphis, TN; and granddaughters Lauren Riggs and Caroline Penhallegon.</p>
<p>
Dr. Riggs enjoyed three interesting careers in his life. First, in the military; second, as a vice president of a large construction company; and finally, as the Associate Dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Georgia Tech University.</p>
<p>
Early in his life, Buck dreamt about going to West Point. He never let go of that dream in spite of considerable obstacles. In high school, Buck managed the Riggs’ Amoco Service Station after school to help keep the family financially solvent; there was no time for sports. This teenager was the “glue” that held the Riggs family together.</p>
<p>
His dreams of West Point and an aviation career remained intact thanks to his Uncle Mervyn, a Methodist minister, instrumental in getting Buck into the Columbian Preparatory School, Washington, D.C. While Buck was not a man for organized religion, he certainly was religious. He lived a disciplined life in strict congruence with an internal code of ethics, never bent, never compromised.</p>
<p>
On 3 July 1951, new Cadet Riggs, from Pulaski, Virginia, joined the Class of 1955 at the age of 17 years. Plebe Riggs struggled with French and the West Point routine, both of which he mastered in due time. He was held in high esteem by all of his Cadet Company D-2 classmates.</p>
<p>
Lieutenant Riggs accepted his graduation diploma from President Eisenhower and set off to pursue that aviation dream. After winning his fighter pilot wings in 1956, Buck met, courted and married the love of his life, Carol Hertling, a charming Braniff Airlines Link Instructor.</p>
<p>
Captain Riggs graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1963 with a master’s degree in Civil Engineering. Not even Buck knew at this time what a force Civil Engineering would come to play in his life.</p>
<p>
He took up golf as a full-time pasttime while in the Air Force and became a scratch golfer, winning many base and club championship trophies. Along the way, Buck recorded two aces (holes-in-one).</p>
<p>
Buck often said “he had two choice assignments in his military career. First, as an A-1E ground attack pilot in Vietnam and second, as a distinguished graduate and faculty member at the Air War College.” Buck flew over 325 combat missions in Southeast Asia, the majority against tough targets in North Vietnam and along the Thailand supply routes to the south. His military awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, 13 Air Medals, and two Meritorious Service Medals. The dean of the Georgia Tech Engineering school eulogized, “He was cool under fire. Buck made the same calm, cool, organized judgments in the academic environment that he had demonstrated in the combat situation.”</p>
<p>
Retiring in 1975, Colonel Riggs received a Ph.D. in construction management from Georgia Tech in 1979 and became a vice president of Holder Construction Company. His interest in personal computers was responsible for the implementation of construction techniques that are taken for granted today but were pioneered by Buck and his Holder colleagues, in Atlanta alone, major construction jobs include the Overlook One and Two office complexes and the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violence. Dr. Riggs’ construction expertise was sought by all. He was an expert witness, and an engineering consultant par excellence.</p>
<p>
In 1985 he joined the faculty of Georgia Tech as an Associate Professor and head of the Construction Management Program. In seven short years, Dr. Riggs was elevated to a full professor. He held the position of Associate Director in charge of graduate programs. Somehow, Dr. Riggs managed to stretch the department’s budget to provide graduate schooling for deserving applicants.</p>
<p>
The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech established the “Leland S. Riggs Distinguished Lecture Series in Construction” in 1994. Buck had been instrumental in bringing established leaders in the construction industry to Georgia Tech forums to share their insights and vision for the construction industry</p>
<p>
Dr. Riggs was a distinguished author with numerous publications in print: civil engineering textbooks; research papers; and technical journals. No one was surprised that Buck worked a full but difficult day in the office the Thursday before his death the following Wednesday.</p>
<p>
Buck found great comfort in his family. He filled the passing miles on a trip with thoughts of family, expectations for son Steven, admiration for wife Carol’s theater work, wishes for daughters Paula and Lisa, pride in his granddaughters and concerns for his graduate student candidates.</p>
<p>
Buck was a very private man who shared his deepest feelings with but a handful of close personal friends. His Penn State colleague Victor Sanvido noted:</p>
<p>
<em>“He had a quiet way about him </em><em>and only spoke when he was able </em><em>to positively influence decisions. </em><em>He was not one who spoke </em><em>for the sake of speaking. </em><em>This an extremely rare quality in people. ”</em></p>
<p>
Leland Stanford (Buck) Riggs— husband, father, military professional, academician, professor, linksman, friend.<br />
</p>