Louis Riggs

Professor

“I’ve seen a lot of community colleges in action. And SMC is the best. It’s just number one.”

“Entertaining the troops” has been a constant in the life of Louis Riggs since graduation from SMC. “I was a personnel specialist in the military. And I did a lot of acting and directing of plays throughout Europe.” But after the service, Louis dropped back onto the SMC campus to become play-by-play announcer for KCRW. “I covered football, basketball and soccer,” says Louis. And since then his talent for sportscasting has served him very well.

“I’m now the TV anchor at Santa Anita race track,” he says. “And I’m also a national instructor for Columbia School of Broadcasting. So between teaching and broadcasting, I’ve got more than a full-time job.”

Louis says that his broad experience helps in the classes he teaches at SMC. “With my professional background,” he says, “I cross over a lot of lines. And that’s one of the best things about a lot of the teachers here. A lot of us,” he says, “are practicing professionals in the subjects we teach. That’s an edge for the students: they get the theoretical and the practical point of view in one package.”

Louis has taught classes in broadcasting, speech and communications. “But it’s broadcasting that I really love,” he says. “It’s a very difficult business and it’s highly competitive. But for a lot of students it’s a dream. And in many instances, it’s a dream I can help them realize.”

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