During his commencement address in 1883, our namesake, Andrew J. Rider, stated, “The future is full of promise.”
In retrospect, this quote reads as keenly prescient. What began as a small business school offering a handful of shorthand courses for business-minded men and women has since transformed into a two-campus, five-college, top-rated institution dedicated to creating a student-centered environment that fosters academic excellence, intellectual growth and artistic acumen.
In this special sesquicentennial issue of Rider magazine, you will find features that detail the growth of both the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses as well as articles about each college’s historical path. Similarly, the visual images showcase key aspects of the Rider experience, from the development of the athletics logo to the beanies worn by first-year students to the butterfly typewriters used in early business classes. These photos capture the diversity of experiences available to students across the years. You may also enjoy the timeline that allows one to see clearly how far we have come in 150 years.
So much has happened over the years that we cannot possibly capture it all in just a few pages. Still, these glimpses of the past instill a sense of pride in Rider’s development. We owe a measure of success to the vision and perseverance of our early leaders and to the dedication of our talented faculty and staff, but also to alumni like you, who have given back to the University in so many different ways.
I hope what you find in the following pages elicits happy and proud memories of your own time at Rider, whether you were a student editor for Night Rider’s 1961 debut issue, an audience member during Alex Haley’s 1985 visit or a performer in one of our Westminster choirs.
Moreover, my wish is that these stories inspire you to return to campus for one of the many celebratory moments we have planned for this year or to attend sesquicentennial on-the-road events happening in a city near you. Your participation ensures that we not only fulfill the promise to advance Rider’s excellence, but also commit to creating a lasting legacy that began in a largely unknown corner of Trenton in 1865. I encourage you to visit the sesquicentennial website at www.rider.edu/150 to read the most up-to-date event information, to view our commemorative video and to share your own memories and stories of your time at Rider.
The foundation for the next 150 years is being built today. Let’s make these next few months a time to remember by honoring the past, celebrating the present and setting the stage for an even brighter future for Rider.
Mordechai Rozanski
President