Lieutenant Colonel Wanda R. Jewell
U.S. Army Retired
EWU ROTC Class of 1976
Gold Medalist Pan American Games
Bronze Medalist Olympic Games
Wanda Jewell graduated from the then named, Eastern Washington State College in 1976 and earned a regular Army commission into the Ordnance branch. She was part of the first ROTC class that commissioned women into the Army. Her military assignments include the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, 3rd COSCOM, 7th ARCOM, Individual Ready Reserve, and Small Arms Training Team.
Wanda Jewell as a Cadet in 1976.
Wanda won a Bronze Medal in women’s small bore standard rifle at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California. In 1978 she became the first person – male or female- to win two individual Gold medals at the World Shooting Championships. In 1974, while at Eastern, she was selected to the National Rifle Association’s Collegiate All-America team after winning a national intercollegiate title in conventional shooting. She also won numerous medals, including Gold, at the Pan World Championships and three Pan American Games. A 1976 graduate of Eastern, she was a two-time Inland Empire Female Athlete of the Year in the mid-1970’s. Her competitive career spanned 24 years, but she also contributed to the sport as a coach and administrator.
Wanda Jewell after winning a Bronze Medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics
In 2002 Wanda became the Director of Operations for USA Shooting based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Prior to that she served as the national rifle coach for U.S.A. Shooting; the first female to coach a national rifle team anywhere in the world. In 2001 her American rifle athletes won seven World Cup medals, and in 2002 American athletes won two World Cup medals, four Olympic quotas and two World Championships. In November of 2002 she was selected as U.S.A. Shooting Coach of the Year. “A big part of success in coaching is providing the right opportunities for the athletes,” Jewell said. Wanda retired from U.S.A. Shooting in 2008.
Wanda Jewell (2011)
Wanda Jewell’s military awards include, three Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. Wanda is married to Max Oliver, an Eastern ROTC graduate and retired Major.
You can see the rest of the members of our EWU Military Science Hall of Fame at the below link:
