Donors
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Lee and Penny Anderson, Class of 1961.
Lee Anderson is the Owner and Chairman of APi Group, Inc., a holding corporation for 30+ separate construction, manufacturing and fire-protection companies headquartered in St. Paul, MN.
Mr. Anderson graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 1961. Mr. Anderson has long been an avid sportsman, enjoying a successful basketball career while a cadet at the academy. Today he remains an enthusiastic outdoorsman, and is a Heritage Member of Ducks Unlimited, and a Golden Club member of the U.S Sportsmen's Alliance.
Lee and Penny's gifts to West Point have touched every aspect of the cadet experience. In 2001 they provided a very significant gift toward the construction of the Kimsey Athletic Center, one of the finest athletic facilities in the country: a magnificent building that combines weight room facilities, football locker rooms, state of the art sports medicine facilities and the Hall of Army Sports Heroes.
Lee and Penny led by example and became the lead donors in 2006 in support of the state of the art rugby complex at West Point, which bears their name. The Anderson Rugby Complex features home and away locker rooms, a weight training facility, office space, as well as a full size natural grass competition surface and an artificial turf training pitch. The impact on the program has been profound, while rugby has been successful since it was first played at West Point in 196, in 2009 the men advanced to the round of 4 and the women the round of 8 and in 2010 both teams advanced to the Round of 4 in the National Championship Tournament.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson's philanthropy extends well beyond the playing fields of West Point Rugby. Beginning in 2001 they provided a series of gifts that have endowed the Department of History, providing opportunities for cadets to take tours of battlefields all around the world, allowing for an unrivaled academic experience, where they must report on what happened at each site, get critiqued by their instructors and draw important tactical and strategic conclusions that will benefit them tremendously as Army Officers.
Due to the tremendous contributions to the Margins of Excellence programs at the United States Military Academy, they have enhanced the quality of the cadet experience for the future Leaders of Character for our Army and Nation. In 2006 they were inducted into the Thomas Jefferson Society, West Point's highest level giving society. In terms of financial commitment, Lee and Penny are the largest donors to this National Treasure.
The West Point Rugby team is forever greatful for their generous support to the team, allowing us to continue a winning tradition and to further develop Leaders of Character.
Mr. Anderson is also lifetime trustee and Breck School and the Naples Children & Education Foundation. His other board service includes the board of governors of the University of St. Thomas School of Law, the Aquatennial Foundation Board, the Board of the Foundation of WIl Sheep and the Board of the Internations Seakeepers Society.
Mr. Anderson has received many accolades for his various contributions and achievements: In 2000 he was elected to the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees, in 2002 he received the John P. Cade for entrepreneurial excellence from the John M. Morrison Center for entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas. He also received the L. B Hartz professional Achievement Award from Minnesota State University Moorhead College of Business and Industry. In 2006 Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were inducted into the Thomas Jefferson Society at West Point, a distinction reserved for the highest level of giving award at West Point. He and his wife are currently one of two people to have received the award. In 2008 he was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame, and in 2009 he earned the national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the real estate, hospitality and contruction category.