by Aimee LaBrie
After successfully opening businesses colleges in Cleveland and Newark, H.B. Bryant and his business partner Henry D. Stratton set their sights on Trenton, a rapidly expanding city with a large population of returning soldiers and would-be office workers. They placed ads in local newspapers announcing the opening of “a business college in this city, on the 2nd of October next. Double entry booking, Spencerian business writing, banking, commercial law, commercial arithmetic, business correspondence, etc. will be taught by the most competent and experienced teachers.” Located in $50 a month rented facilities in Temperance Hall at the southeast corner of Broad and Front streets, the Trenton College of Business opened its doors on Oct. 2, 1865, and students began filling the desks.
From this modest start, the College of Business has continued to grow and improve over the last 15 decades, boasting high national rankings, comparable with some of the most prestigious schools in the country. The global supply chain management program, the forensic accounting program and the Center for the Development of Leadership Skills all achieved top 25 or top 10 rankings from industry leaders within the past two years alone.
As the foundation of what has grown into Rider University, the College of Business is also celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. On Oct. 24, 2014, CBA alumni are invited to attend the benefit dinner to be held at TPC Jasna Polana. This signature event for the College serves to both honor the history of the College, and look forward to the prosperous years that are sure to follow. For more information, contact [email protected].