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We Were CAPERS

From the 1960s to the 1980s, Auburn’s all-female military auxiliary instilled discipline and service, paving the way for future equality in the nation’s armed forces and preparing them for a lifetime of success.

Black and white group photo of 8 Auburn CAPERS wearing their uniforms and smiling.

Auburn’s military connections date to before the Civil War, but it wasn’t until the late 20th Century that collegiate or national military outfits were coed. That didn’t stop women across the country from joining a unique organization that taught them service, discipline and leadership—eventually paving the way for full equality in the nation’s armed forces.

The Coed Affiliates of Pershing Rifles (CAPERS) was an on-campus auxiliary group to the men’s-only Pershing Rifles, and though its history is brief, it had a life-changing impact on its members that is still felt today.

Origins in Support

Founded in 1894 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as the Varsity Rifles by legendary military figure John J. Pershing, the drill unit was a military-oriented honor society for college students to teach morale and discipline and raise support for military cadets in the community.

After WWI, where Pershing became a national hero, the renamed National Society of Pershing Rifles expanded to colleges across the country. By 1962, in an effort towards equality, CAPERS was created to admit women. At the organization’s peak in the late 1970s it had 32 national chapters grouped into three regiments, with its main headquarters in Miami, Florida.

Auburn had its own unit starting in 1966, and in recognition for having the largest unit in the nation and their outstanding community work, CAPERS moved their national campus headquarters to the Plains in 1976.

“CAPERS meant a lot to us and the community,” said Nancy “Scottie” Mitchell ’78, a retired member and investor relations manager for the Business Council of Alabama. “I hate to use the word ‘popular,’ but back then it was a very popular organization to be involved with. A lot of girls applied and you had to be interviewed in order to be accepted, so we got a pretty large crowd. I mean, at Auburn we had more CAPERS than we did guys in Pershing Rifles.”

Once accepted, CAPERS members remained in the organization throughout their student careers. The Auburn unit’s zenith was in 1977 with 62 members, but with rarely more than a dozen open spots per year, there was fierce competition to be accepted.

For Linda Eskind Rebrovick ’77, president of Impact Corporate Consulting, CAPERS was a pivotal step to beginning her career.

“[Auburn] is probably one of the game changers in my life, and CAPERS is a perfect example,” said Rebrovick. “Back then it was quite an honor—you wanted to wear that uniform. It was hard to be selected, and so many of my sorority sisters and fellow students wanted to be selected.”

Like other units, the Auburn CAPERS unit had their own bylaws and executive board of officers who guided their activities and fundraising projects around the community. They assisted with scoring and registration at the Army ROTC drill meet, served as hostesses for various military and university functions, and assisted the city in social and civic projects like winter clothing drives and charity bake sales.

They were also expected to practice drill formations on the old military parade field. The 1971 Auburn CAPERS drill team was named top unit in the nation at the National CAPERS Drill Competition and won the Florida State Invitational Drill Meet five years in a row from 1968 to 1973. They even marched at President Nixon’s second inauguration parade that same year.

Black and white photo of Cadet Billy G. Thomas (Pershing Rifle Commander) in military uniform, Louise Seier (Caper Commander) in a formal dress, and Auburn President Harry M. Philpott in a suit posing with a large trophy awarded to Auburn CAPERS.
But their biggest impact was in supporting the military community, especially returning veterans and new cadets in the Army, Air Force and Navy ROTC.

“[We] just tried to keep morale up and [show] the guys that we supported them and their efforts, and we were proud of them,” said Mitchell. “I think it really did shine a little bit more of a positive light for the for the guys that were in the Pershing Rifles, because when the guys who served came back from the Vietnam War they certainly did not get the respect they deserved or any kind of recognition in a positive way. Which was a tragedy.”

“That was our major focus, and we participated in all of their activities when they wanted us there,” said Rebrovick. “It gave [the Pershing Rifles] a feeling of pride to be in the military. That’s why, for the women who weren’t in the service, it made us feel like we were contributing to the military and our country, and to the people who gave back more than anyone else.”

A Legacy of Leadership

For reasons that remain unclear, in 1978 the CAPERS headquarters moved to Appalachian State, then to Seton Hall the following year. In the mid-1980s, a breakdown of gender divisions came for both CAPERS and Pershing Rifles. In 1987 the first 10 male Auburn CAPERS were admitted, while the Pershing Rifles began accepting women.

Eventually all existing CAPERS and Pershing Rifles units were assimilated into one national organization under the Pershing Rifles moniker. Though the CAPERS spirit lives on in the National Society of Pershing Angels, the coed Air Force ROTC sponsors, its real legacy survives in the accomplishments of its alumnae.

In addition to serving as president of Pi Beta Phi sorority and the Kappa Sigma Little Sisters, Mitchell was president and commander of the Auburn division, representing Auburn at the CAPERS national convention.

Being president of all three organizations at the same time taught her a great deal about time management and rallying others to support a common cause.

“I was an at-home mom for 16 years, but I was president of four different Parent Teacher/Student Associations in Montgomery, and I was on the board of directors of the Auburn Parents Association for four years. I think my desire to volunteer in a variety of organizations has to do with what I learned and practiced at Auburn,” said Mitchell. “It’s what I enjoy doing, and I believe one of my ‘spiritual gifts’ is the gift of administration, which is getting people together for a common purpose and helping them work toward the goals that they set. And I think being in CAPERS really helped me develop that while helping others.”

Rebrovick was nominated by CAPERS for the 1976 Miss Auburn—which she won—and credits them for not only supporting her through the campaign process, but instilling in her the confidence and courage to try new things.

After graduation, Rebrovick took a marketing position with IBM in Nashville and later joined consulting business KPMG. She parlayed that into leadership roles in corporate and nonprofit organizations, including as the president and CEO of Consensus Point, Inc. and as president of Leadership Nashville’s board of trustees. In 2015 she even campaigned for the mayorship of Nashville.

In a time when women had limits, CAPERS showed they could succeed on their own terms.

“I think it was an honor to be a member of CAPERS,” said Rebrovick. “It is an honor to have been part of building the organization, and I am so thankful for the influence and support that CAPERS provided me, and hopefully for other women. There is an element of service, but there is also an element of character, morals, values and camaraderie. I’m really grateful that I was part of it.”

By Derek Herscovici ’14

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