ure ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁the ▁family ' s ▁assets ▁decl ined . ▁Event ually , ▁they ▁were ▁comp elled ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁North ▁Char l eston ▁where ▁they ▁opened ▁up ▁a ▁board ing ▁house ▁on ▁O ' H ear ▁Avenue . ▁ ▁R ivers ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁schools ▁and ▁it ▁took ▁him ▁six ▁years ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁Char l eston ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁He ▁then ▁attended ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Char l eston ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina ▁School ▁of ▁Law ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁neither . ▁The ▁law ▁school ▁de an ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina ▁ad vised ▁R ivers ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁another ▁profession ▁because ▁although ▁he ▁knew ▁the ▁assign ments , ▁he ▁suffered ▁from ▁stage ▁fright . ▁R ivers ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁lawyer ▁so ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁College ▁of ▁Char l eston , ▁took ▁classes ▁to ▁prepare ▁himself ▁for ▁the ▁bar ▁exam ination , ▁and ▁passed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁Unable ▁to ▁find ▁employ ment ▁in ▁Char l eston ▁law ▁fir ms , ▁he ▁started ▁his ▁own ▁practice . ▁ ▁Entry ▁into ▁politics ▁R ivers ▁first ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁politics ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁when ▁he ▁participated ▁in ▁Ed ▁P rit ch ard ' s ▁un success ful ▁campaign ▁for ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁against ▁Russell ▁McG owan . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁active ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Char l eston ▁Young ▁Democr ats ▁club ▁and ▁shortly ▁after ▁passing