Robert Riger

Biography

Robert Riger was born in Manhattan in 1924 and grew up near the Polo Grounds. He attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy, served in the merchant marine during World War II, and graduated from Pratt Art Institute. He began taking photographs in 1950 as research for drawings. His distinctive sepia-colored sketches appeared in the first issue of Sports Illustrated in 1954. In 1960 his first photography book, “The Pros” was published.

In 1963 Riger joined ABC’s Wide World of Sports where he became a produce/director of many ground-breaking and award-winning programs.