The use of highly reactive metals in chemical synthesis was popularized in the 1960s.  One development in this theme is the use of metal vapor synthesis, as described by Skell, Timms, Ozin, and others.  All of these methods relied on elaborate instrumentation to vaporize the metals, releasing an atomic form of these reactants.
In 1972, Reuben D. Rieke, a professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina, published the method that now bears his name. In contrast to previous methods, it did not require special equipment, and the main challenges were only the handling of pyrophoric reagents and/or products, and the need for anhydrous reagents and air-free techniques.  Thus his discovery gained much attention because of its simplicity and the reactivity of the activated metals.
Rieke continued this work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He and his wife Loretta founded Rieke Metals LLC in 1991, based on these materials.