Inducted February 10, 1986

Herman Riese has been affiliated with various community sports endeavors since moving to Bakersfield in 1949. But, with pardonable pride, the Bob Elias Hall of Fame feels that his connection with our Kern County sports shrine tops the list. He was the driving force behind the formation of the Hall of Fame and its first president, fulfilling a long-time dream of Bob Elias, the late local sportscaster, for a fitting and lasting remembrance of the county's sports standouts. Riese was also a tireless worker in track and field. For years, he was an AAU official, holding posts from the local to national and international levels. He was instrumental in the AAU holding national championship meets here, was coordinator of the 1967 and 1970 nationals, managed a U.S team which visited Europe and 1965, directed a national decathlon meet, and was an official at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Riese also served as recreation supervisor for Kern County and the City of Bakersfield.