HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 9:30 am to 3:00 pm (see Reference Desk)
Closed Friday to Sunday
College holidays are observed
The Archive is open to the public for research but an appointment is recommended.
Contact the Riley Archive at 850-201- 6540 or call the Library Reference Department at 850-201-8383.
The TCC Riley Archive's mission is connect untold stories of Black Floridians' linkage to the legacy of the African Diaspora. Visitors have access to documents, photographs, oral histories, books, periodicals, and other primary sources that will enhance the educational experience.
Use this map to see the location of the library.
John Riley was a strict educator, principal, real estate owner and businessman in Tallahassee, Florida. He was born in 1857, when slavery was a way of life and educational pursuits for Blacks were illegal. With the help of his Aunt Henrietta, Riley defied the law of the land and learned to read and write.
From such a meager beginning, he began his teaching career in 1877, in Wakulla County. In 1881, he was a teacher at Lincoln Academy, one of three freedmen schools built during Reconstruction in Florida. He also distinguished himself as a leader in business as a land owner in downtown Tallahassee and was Grand High Priest of the Royal Arch Masons of Florida.
Tallahassee Community College (TCC) partnered with the John G. Riley House Museum to provide a collection of primary and secondary sources extremely useful for faculty and students interested in local African American history. The Archive is located in the TCC Library in Room 202.
Students use the materials for research assignments
TCC Riley Archive Phone 850-201-6540
