He was valedictorian of his class at the Linsly Military Institute, going on to study at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, before entering Harvard University.

At the onset of World War II, Strider served as an ensign and then lieutenant in Navy communications, stationed in Washington, D.C. After his discharge, in 1946 he joined the English department at Connecticut College, and completed his Harvard doctorate in 1950.

During his Colby presidency, he prevailed as an academic leader and introduced a number of lasting curricular innovations, including the now widely imitated January Program of Independent Study.

Strider served as Colby's president for 20 years, at the time the longest presidential tenure in the college's history.

After his retirement, the Striders moved to Brookline, Massachusetts, and he served for a time as professor and dean at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.