Kathleen Ridder

Kathleen Culman Ridder (October 2, 1922 – April 3, 2017) was an American philanthropist, educator, writer, and feminist. She graduated from University of Minnesota Duluth as a teacher, advocated for women's athletic programs at the University of Minnesota, and was a benefactor of Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey. She was active in Republican politics, supported the Equal Rights Amendment, and later turned to writing and philanthropy to help her causes. She was married to Robert Ridder, and is a namesake of the Ridder Arena.

Early life Ridder was born Kathleen Marie Culman on October 2, 1922, in New York City. Her father was a stockbroker who went broke during the Great Depression, and her mother worked in a dress shop to support the household. Ridder was active in sports in her youth, attended the all-girls Brearley School, and later went to Smith College.

Activism Ridder dedicated her life to fighting for women's access to opportunities in education and athletics, that she did not have as a young lady who grew up before Title IX came into effect. Ridder felt that supporting women's athletics was a means to help women succeed in life, and in the business world. Ridder befriended Rosalie E. Wahl as the first female on the Minnesota Supreme Court, funded a book about Wahl and a Twin Cities Public Television documentary about Wahl. Robert Ridder died in 2000 before the arena's completion, but Kathleen Ridder attended the opening night and dropped the ceremonial first puck.

Books Kathleen Incorporated. (1990). Privately published. A Woman Ahead of her Time. (1995). Privately published. Shaping My Feminist Life: A Memoir. (1998). Minnesota Historical Society Press. Stories by Minnesota women in sports: Leveling the playing field. (2005). North Star Press

Articles Kathleen C. Ridder papers, 1978–1985. Minnesota Historical Society. The Women's Institute and how it revived downtown St. Paul: Speakers, style shows, and 12,000 shoppers. (1997). A win at Wimbledon in 1959; Links, courts, lanes, diamonds: Ramsey County's women athletes and their history of success. (1998).

Later life Ridder was married to Robert for 56 years, until his death in 2000.