NORMANITE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Normanite in the spotlight Andy Rieger

BY: CHELSEY KRAFT

At 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 executive editor of The Transcript in 2015 and continues to write a Sunday column for the paper.

Additionally, Rieger works as a realtor, helping with his family’s investments, and is a part-time, adjunct instructor in OU’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He first taught for the college in 1988 and has instructed courses ranging from editing to community journalism to public affairs reporting.

Rieger’s community involvement includes the Norman Rotary Club, Norman Business Association, Norman Regional Health Foundation and Moore-Norman Technology Center Foundation. He also serves as a volunteer cook with Loveworks and enjoys cycling and sailing in his free time. In 2020, Rieger co-chaired the United Way of Norman campaign with James Chappel.

Fundraising during COVID-19 was a challenge, but Rieger said they were able to shift to a high-tech United Way campaign. As of early this January, the campaign had reached 92 percent of its goal, with a few campaigns that had yet to kick off.

Chappel said he and Rieger have become good friends, partly because they both like a bit of levity. Throughout the campaign, Chappel noticed how much the people in Norman both respect and appreciate Rieger.

“Andy is kind of a community treasure,” Chappel stated. “People talk about national treasures, but I think in Norman, Andy is kind of our community treasure. He’s a respected guy. When he writes stuff in the paper, people read it for content and for history. He’s kind of the go-to guy.”

Rieger and his wife, Karen, met in high school while employed at The Norman Transcript, he was in the mailroom and she was in bookkeeping. For nearly 40 years, Karen has worked as an attorney at Crowe Dunlevy in Oklahoma City, primarily for healthcare clients. The Riegers married in 1978 and have three children and two grandsons.

The couple’s youngest daughter, Hannah, describes her dad as someone who is consistently there for people, not just for his family but also for his friends and community. Hannah said he is also humble, an example being when he was a stay-at-home dad for a few years at a time when men didn’t often fill that role for their families.

“He’s just an all-around good person,” Hannah shared. “I feel incredibly lucky to be part of his life and even more so to be his daughter.”

Hannah recalled how the family couldn’t go anywhere without someone recognizing her dad. Even quick trips to Homeland to buy computer paper would turn into 30-to-40-minute outings after stopping to chat. During her childhood, people would also come up to Hannah and say how much they liked her dad’s column that week. Now, Hannah is often asked if she is Andy’s daughter, and she is proud to say, “Yes, I am.”

“He was a recognized figure around town,” she explained. “He knows a lot about the community. He’s been here his entire life, so he has all that history and knowledge, and I think he’s just kind of a comfort to the community. People like seeing him around.”

Rieger has both deep roots in and a great love for Norman. One of six children, Rieger was the only one to settle down in the city. What he saw here is similar to what his ancestors did, too.

“If you look at the area that they homesteaded, southeast Cleveland County, it was red dirt and ravines. It really wasn’t that suitable,” Rieger explained. “But I think what they saw was opportunity – opportunity to have a better life and have families. I think that’s still what people see here. They look beyond any negatives and they see a lot of opportunity in Norman.” – BSM