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ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ welcomes retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral J. Timothy Riker '70 as the keynote speaker for its Fall Commencement on Saturday, December 13. He will address 235 undergraduate and graduate students.

Riker's  and association with the United States Coast Guard.

Currently, he serves as Chair of the Board of Regents for the Foundation for Coast Guard History. In addition, he is a Trustee of the Coast Guard Foundation, which assists Coast Guard men, women and their families through a variety of charitable programs and grants. He is a Golden Life Member of the U.S. Naval Institute (which recognizes 50 consecutive years of membership).

Military career

Riker graduated from ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ in 1970 with degrees in history and government. He enlisted in the Coast Guard that same year.

He served aboard two North Atlantic Ocean cutters while on active duty. As a Reservist, he was recalled to active duty four times, including overseas assignments in Operations Desert Storm and Uphold Democracy. Other recalls included duties as Chief, Defense Operations Division, and as Director of Reserve. Both tours were performed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In 2000, he retired as the Senior Member of the Coast Guard Reserve. A year later, he was recalled from retirement for an assignment relating to the Great Lakes pilotage program. He returned to retired status in 2003. In 2006, he was again recalled and assigned to several director roles for the Coast Guard, culminating in his being named Chair of the Doctrine Study Group.

In that role, he oversaw the promulgation of an updated Coast Guard Publication One, which is the Coast Guard's capstone document encompassing its history, culture and operational principles. It serves as the strategic foundation for the execution of the Coast Guard's 11 statutory missions.

He has been awarded personal decorations that include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal with Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the Legion of Merit Medal with two Gold Stars, and the Meritorious Service Medal with Operational Distinguishing Device and Gold Star, among others.

Riker returned to retired status in 2010.

Lifelong connection to ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ

Riker has had an active civilian life. He is a 1977 graduate of Capital University Law School. He established his law practice in Cincinnati in 1979 and continues to actively practice.

His professional life has included community activities and awards, among them being named a 1999 ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Alumni Merit Award recipient – which is the highest award Baldwin Wallace bestows on an alumnus.

Appreciative of the role ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ has had in his life, Riker, in accepting the invitation to speak at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ's Commencement, noted that the "wisdom provided by an outstanding faculty, the enduring friendships and a delightful marriage to Miriam Swords '70 encouraged me to pursue my daily work with devotion and enthusiasm."

ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ fraternity, friendship bonds spanning 50 years

Among ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ connections, Riker is a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. , Riker recalled that as a student, he wasn't initially interested in joining.

He goes on to say that when he learned the pledge program was based on service to the community, he changed his mind. "That appealed to me, as well as fulfilling the philosophy and creed of the fraternity."

He is also one of a ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ group of friends — including spouses — that has reunited each and every year since 1971. The bond started when they attended each other's weddings, then progressed to shared vacations once children were born. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group met through Zoom calls.