COMM U N I T Y
NORMANITE IN THE A SPOTLIGHT
Andy Rieger 28 | February 2021
BY: CHELSEY KRAF T
t a young age, Andy Rieger realized that knowledge was power. As a newspaper carrier for The Norman Transcript in junior high and high school, Rieger made it a point to read the paper before he delivered it, especially to follow developments in the Vietnam War since he and his brothers were nearing draft age. Rieger also admits he was the “annoying brother” who on road trips, made his parents stop at all the green road signs that talked about an area’s history. He still makes those pitstops, especially when he’s driving by himself. Now, Rieger is well-versed in the history of the community where his family has deep roots that date back to before the Land Run of 1889. Rieger’s great-grandfather, Alois, came to America from Germany when he was 14 years old. Alois and his brother ended up in the Midwest working on the railroad, jobs that eventually brought them to what was then Oklahoma Territory, where they decided to settle. For more than 25 years, Rieger has written a weekly newspaper or magazine column, most of which focus on Norman, its people and its history. He’s also put together a talk about the 10 seminal events that have caused the city to develop the way it has, which he gives to civic and business groups. “No matter where I’ve worked, I’ve always believed that the more people know about their city, the more they appreciate the community they live in,” Rieger explained. “If you know very little about your city, you’re not likely to think very highly of it.” After growing up in northeast Norman in the 1960s and 1970s, Rieger graduated from Norman High School and the University of Oklahoma. From OU, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in public administration. Rieger worked in journalism or journalism education for more than 40 years, including at The Oklahoma Daily, Oklahoma City Times, The Daily Oklahoman, Cleveland County Record and The Norman Transcript. After 20 years, Rieger retired as exec-
