Women Veterans : the Military Experience

Rider has a long tradition of serving military veterans. When Rider opened its doors in 1865, some of its first students included Civil War veterans seeking job skills.

The first women veterans at Rider date back to World War II, when women played a significant role in the war effort and then returned to Rider to continue their coursework. The 1943-1944 varsity women's basketball team alone had four women veterans.

ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) began at Rider in 1968 during the Vietnam War era in an attempt to recruit students to serve in the war effort. Women students joined ROTC in greater numbers the 1970s and 1980s and in some instances received special scholarships and awards. In 1986, Rider Junior Michelle Walker received a three-year Army ROTC Scholarship for outstanding academic and leadership traits.

Rider continues to have an Army ROTC program, offered through a regional partnership with local colleges.