The Anderson Athletic Center Officially Opened 22 Oct 2021

The West Point Association of Graduates and the Army West Point Athletic
Association held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Anderson Athletic Center on
October 22, 2021, at West Point. The ribbon-cutting participates were LTC (R)
Mark West ’91, Head Sprint Football Coach; Cheryl Milligan, Head Softball Coach;
LTG Darryl A. Williams ‘83 60th Superintendent, USMA; Mike Buddie, Army West
Point Athletics Director; Lee Anderson ’61 and Penny Anderson; Todd A. Browne
‘85 President and CEO, WPAOG. The three-floor, 21,000-square-foot athletic
facility was made possible by the generosity of lead donors Lee Anderson '61 and
his wife, Penny, as well as key donors John Drew ’78, Vaughn Vasconcellos ’78,
William Sandbrook ’79, and William Spurgeon ’81, his wife, Diane, and the Class
of 1981.
The Anderson Athletic Center is the home of the Army West Point Softball Team,
Volleyball Team, and Sprint Football Team, providing each with locker rooms,
team rooms, display space for awards and trophies, and office space for coaches.
The first floor of the Anderson Athletic Center also features a
6,630-square-foot strength and conditioning center that can serve approximately
500 cadet-athletes from 11
varsity sports programs, including men’s and women’s
rugby, men’s and women’s track and field, and cross country. These athletes will
also be able to take advantage of the building’s additional amenity, a
500-plus-square-foot, self-serve nutrition center where cadets can properly
“refuel” themselves to maximize the value of their workouts.
“It
is important for grads to share their success with the Academy because, for many
of us, this is where that success began,” says lead donor Lee Anderson ’61, who
was a three-sport athlete at West Point: football, basketball, and track.
Anderson branched Air Force upon graduation in 1961 and served in the 4510th
Combat Crew Training Wing from 1961 to 1964. Following his military career, he
returned to his home state of Minnesota and took over the family company, an
insulation contracting firm. Five years later, he purchased an industrial fire
sprinkler company and subsequently acquired other firms in the fire-protection
field. In 1997, the conglomerate he oversaw was renamed APi Group Inc., and it
has become a multi-billion dollar parent company for over 40 independently
managed specialty construction companies, based in almost 300 locations
worldwide. Anderson and his wife, Penny, are members of multiple committees and
societies at West Point, including the Thomas Jefferson Lifetime Giving Society
and the Gold Cullum Planned Giving Society. In 2003, the Andersons provided the
funds for the Anderson Rugby Complex, and they currently endow the head men’s
basketball and women’s rugby coaching positions. Anderson was honored in 2013
with the West Point Association of Graduates Distinguished Graduate Award.
Reflecting upon his most recent gift to the Academy, Anderson says, “This
building is the tip of the spear, and it will be directly beneficial to
cadets—not only helping them become better cadet-athletes but also developing
them into the future leaders of our country.”
Head Sprint Football Coach Mark West ’91 is grateful to the Long Gray Line for
its support of the facility and Army West Point Athletics. “Sprint football is
extremely fortunate to have a very strong alumni group,” says West. Former
Sprint Football player John Drew ’78 chose to use his gift to honor two members
of the Sprint Football family through naming of the team locker rooms: Captain
Ralph R. Wensinger ’59 (former player) and Eric G. “Tip” Tipton (former coach).
Many sports share this strong alumni affinity and are thankful for Long Gray
Line support for sport-specific gifts to annual “Friends of” funds and team
endowments.
SEE
PHOTOS FROM THE DAY
