Rivers was from Decker, MB. During his time at Brandon College Rivers won the Brandon College General Proficiency Award in his second year, the Presidents’ Scholarship in Science, the Anglo-Can Oils Ltd. Scholarship in Chemistry, the Doigs’ Store Ltd. Scholarship in Maths, and the Joseph Donaldson Memorial Scholarship in Physics.
The united and much admired system of arithmetic and mental calculations of Doctor Willcolkes and Messrs. T. and T.W. Fryer : being the result of many years' study