Closing time at the pit: Ray Riley ’79 retires after 46 years

For Riley, that trip was more than a field trip. It was his first glimpse of the university that would become his home. Ten years later, he returned as a freshman in the Department of Animal Science. Six decades after that first bus ride, Riley is retiring as the manager of the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center, leaving behind a legacy that has shaped students, colleagues and the meat industry far beyond College Station.

“Ray Riley has been a cornerstone of the Department of Animal Science,” Clay Mathis, Ph.D., department head said,“His knowledge, dedication and ability to connect with people have made him not only an exceptional manager, but a magnetic presence within the department. Ray’s presence will be missed, but his impact on the department’s success and culture is lasting.”

During his 46 years as an employee of the Department of Animal Science and 50 years with the department, the Rosenthal Center became a nationally known name. But ask Riley about his story and he’ll say it was never about publicity. It was always about good people, hard work and the only W-2 and full-time job he has ever had, from Texas A&M.

Finding his flavor in Aggieland

Riley grew up with a strong competitive streak, most often tested on the football field, baseball diamond and in the show arena. But when he arrived in Aggieland in 1975, he needed a new outlet for his competitive spirit. He found it in the Texas A&M Meat Judging Team. The contests demanded discipline and precision, but also revealed the science behind the meat.

“That’s where I first got hooked,” Riley said. “It wasn’t just about winning. It was about learning how everything worked.”

Faculty mentors Gary Smith ’68, Ph.D., and Jeffrey W. Savell ’75, Ph.D., now vice chancellor and dean for agriculture and life sciences, saw his drive and encouraged him to stick with meat science.

By 1979, Riley was a student worker in the Department of Animal Science, building practical skills alongside classroom lessons. Two years later, at 24, he was named manager of the brand-new Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center and earned his master’s degree. At first, he imagined it might only be a stop along the way in his career. Instead, it became his life’s work.

“I thought I’d stay three to five years,” Riley said with a smile. “Here I am, 43 years later, still here.”

A building and a career built by hand

When the Rosenthal Center opened in 1983, Riley wasn’t just managing the facility. He was helping build it: installing racks, hauling equipment and bolting tables into place. Much of that equipment is still in use today.

“Me and this building have grown old together,” he said, “but it’s time for us to part ways.”

In addition to managing the center, Riley has taught Animal Science 307 labs since 1979, longer than anyone in university history. He helped create courses such as Meat Merchandising and Texas Barbecue, and he became central to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service programs, including Beef 101, Pork 101, Beef 706, Camp Brisket and Summer Barbecue Camp.

Alongside Savell and Davey Griffin ’78, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension meat specialist and professor in the department, Riley became one of “The Three Brisketeers,” a nickname for the trio as they taught the science and art of barbecue to audiences ranging from backyard hobbyists to professional pitmasters.

“Because we both grew up in Ferris, Ray has been a friend and colleague for over 60 years,” Savell said. “He helped make the Rosenthal Center the preeminent meat science teaching, research and extension/service facility in the nation, and he has helped shape generations of students and industry professionals through his leadership and devotion to training and service. When people think of the Rosenthal Center and all the great programs associated with it, they think of Ray Riley.”

The taste of recognition

For decades, Riley oversaw the production of Rosenthal’s famed beef jerky, a weeklong recipe students perfected in labs and fans across the nation sought out.

Other companies tried to copy it. None matched it.

The jerky drew national attention. The New York Times featured it. CBS Sunday Morning filmed a segment. ESPN and the SEC Network spotlighted Riley as a barbecue authority.

Recognition followed Riley, too: serving brisket to members of Congress, representing Texas A&M nationally and, in 2025, receiving a Congressional Recognition in Washington, D.C. for his years of service in the industry. Closer to home, Riley has received the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence, the highest employee award given by Texas A&M AgriLife, for Special Services twice, first in 1990 and again in 2023.

But he would tell you the awards and headlines were never the point. “The attention was nice,” Riley said, “but the real reward was seeing the success of the students.”

That perspective defined his career. Riley trained more than 400 student workers and supported hundreds of graduate students, many of whom went on to lead in the meat industry.

But often, his influence came in small, personal moments. He remembers one undergraduate whose grades fell short of graduate school requirements. Instead of closing the door, Riley gave him a chance to work at Rosenthal. The student went on to earn a doctorate and build a respected career.

Stories like that, Riley said, are what matter most.

Passing the tongs

Just as Riley helped launch Rosenthal in 1983, today, he is helping shape its successor.

Thanks to a $5 million pledge from the Rosenthal family, Texas A&M is building a 75,000-square-foot Meat Science and Technology Center at Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre applied research campus in Bryan. The new facility will feature modern labs, classrooms, processing floors and observation areas.

Riley is proud to have a hand in planning the building, just as he did on the first, but he’s also glad retirement comes first.

“After 40-plus years in the same office, I’d rather not figure out which boxes the stapler and barbecue tongs go in,” he said with a laugh.

Looking back on more than four decades in that office, Riley has seen food safety standards tighten, student demographics broaden and barbecue culture explode. Through it all, he says one thing stayed constant:

“I’ve been an Aggie, a people person and service-oriented,” he said. “That’s what I’ve done for 46 years.”

Soon, a new manager will step into Riley’s role, and a new building will carry forward the Rosenthal family’s legacy. But for those who know Texas A&M meat science and especially Texas barbecue, the name Ray Riley will always be a part of the story.