Minnesota Executive and Renowned Philanthropist Lee R. Anderson Sr. Selected for Prestigious Horatio Alger Award - Class of 2014

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, today announced that Lee R. Anderson Sr., owner and chairman of APi Group, Inc., will be inducted as a Member of this prestigious Association next spring.  Mr. Anderson joins eleven other outstanding business and civic leaders from across North America in receiving this honor.  Since its inception in 1947, this annual award has recognized exceptional leaders – all with a commitment to philanthropy and higher education – who have overcome significant personal challenges to achieve success. 

A Minneapolis, MN native, Mr. Anderson was the son of two orphans with little formal education.  Taught the value of hard work from an early age, Mr. Anderson worked summers in local warehouses until earning an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1957.  There, he received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and launched a highly promising military career.  However, his military career was cut short when his father suffered a serious heart attack and Mr. Anderson returned to Minneapolis to run his family's construction business.  At the time, the business had just 13 employees.  In the four decades since, Mr. Anderson has successfully grown the company into what is now APi Group, Inc., based in New Brighton, MN.  Today, Mr. Anderson is the owner and chairman of a multi-billion dollar company with more than 10,000 employees throughout North American and Europe.

"Mr. Anderson is a wonderful reflection of the principles upon which Horatio Alger Association has been built," said Tony Novelly, president and CEO, Horatio Alger Association and 2000 Horatio Alger Award recipient.  "His unparalleled work ethic, coupled with his personal resilience are the driving forces of his success.  Yet, what is most remarkable is the generosity that has come to define Mr. Anderson's character.  We are proud to welcome such an individual into membership of the Association.  We are confident that he will serve as an outstanding example to our Scholars – past, present and future."  

Mr. Anderson and his wife, Penny, have given more than $60 million to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and are recognized as the largest donors in West Point's history.  Other notable accolades for Mr. Anderson include the 2002 John F. Cade Award for entrepreneurial excellence and the 2009 National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction Division.  In 2010 Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were honored with Minnesota's Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award.  Together, they also financed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Hire Our Heroes" program aimed at encouraging businesses to hire military veterans.

In accepting this honor, Mr. Anderson commented, "I am deeply grateful and humbled to have been chosen for induction into Horatio Alger Association, especially with such an exceptional group of well-respected individuals.  The Association has long been the vanguard among organizations committed to higher education and preserving the American Dream.  I look forward to supporting this important cause, which I believe to be vital to our nation's success moving forward."

Mr. Anderson and his cohort will officially be inducted as Members during the Association's annual three-day induction ceremonies, which will be held in Washington, D.C. in April 2014.  In addition to honoring these outstanding leaders, Horatio Alger Association will also recognize its 2014 National Scholarship recipients, providing an opportunity for Scholars and Members to meet and exchange stories of their respective perseverance and success.

In addition to presenting its annual award, Horatio Alger Association administers one of the largest, privately-funded scholarship programs for at-risk students in the United States and Canada.  Funding for its scholarships, which annually provides more than $9 million to selected students in need, is wholly supported by private donations from Association Members and friends.  

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and a full list of its Class of 2014, please visit http://horatioalger.org/news_pr_members2014.cfm.

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., fulfills its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. Horatio Alger Association supports students through annual undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships and mentoring programs across the United States and Canada. Since 1984, the Association has awarded more than $100 million in college scholarships to deserving young people.  For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

CONTACT: 
Nikki Elkins 
484-385-2958 (office) 
[email protected]

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.