Fort Lewis College Annual Reports Summer Issue 2014 | Page 6

Education in
Their Bones

Cissy and John Anderson

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or most people, meeting a sitting President of the United States is a once in a lifetime
event. For John Anderson, and especially
his wife Cissy, it was fairly common occurrence. Cissy and John both spent a decade
in Washington DC, John working first as an
executive for IBM and later as part of an corporate task force, and Cissy working in the Office
of Presidential Scheduling. She also worked in
diplomatic programming for embassies in the
city, helping foreign plenipotentiaries to learn
about American culture and government.
“It was fantastic,” she recounts. “We’d take
ambassadors from all over the world to the
‘behind the scenes’ parts of our institutions like
the Supreme Court, NASA or the Smithsonian.”
During the George H.W. Bush Administration
in the late 1980s and early 90s, John was asked
by the the CEO of IBM to help form a task force
on educational reform. President Bush thought
that corporate America was not fully committing itself to the education of the next generation, and wanted them to do more.
One idea that arose from the group was to run
a national competition seeking models for K-12
reform. The winning entries were developed
into models and launched nationwide.

Many of those models are still in use today,
including the Expeditionary Learning model
utilized by area schools such as Animas and
Durango High.
In 1999, the couple decided to move to the southwest, and chose Durango not only for its beauty
and lifestyle, but specifically because the community housed a strong college.
“We wanted to have everything that colleges
represent,” Cissy says. “We wanted the life of the
mind, lifelong learning, and academic culture in
our lives, and Fort Lewis really made that possible.”
The couple’s daughter, Carrie, graduated from FLC
in the early 90s with degrees in psychology and
education, and so introduced her parents to the
town and its charms.
After arriving in Durango, Cissy and John immediately became active in the community, serving on
many boards and volunteer organizations.

focuses on local 1st generation scholars.
“We read a fantastic series on poverty in the
Durango Herald,” says Cissy. “The common
thread of all the people profiled in the article
was that they wished they had the opportunity to get an education. We thought that this
was key to breaking the cycle of poverty, so we
decided to set up a scholarship that would
address this specific need.”
With contributions to the fund from all
members of the Anderson family, the endowment has so far funded the dreams of three
local women, two of whom are single mothers in
their 30s– adult students returning to school to
improve their situation.
When asked about the importance of FLC to
the region, Cissy is unequivocal: “ Fort Lewis’
impact on our community is immense. Whether
you look at the $150 million annual economic

60 Years

benefit, the jobs, the amenities, or the culture, it’s
so important that we all get out and support the
school however we can- gifts are great, but just
going to the games or theatre productions helps a
lot. Fort Lewis gives so much to our town and it
feels good to give some back.”

Bill and Sue Hensler on Collection and Donations to FLC

of Art Collecting

Donors like the Andersons are the reason that the
Fort Lewis Foundation can continue to provide
students in need with the opportunity to forge their
own futures.

Bill and Sue Hensler

We salute the Andersons for their generosity,
foresight and accomplishments.

Cissy and John Anderson photographed at the
Community Concert Hall on the
Fort Lewis College campus.

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In 2011, the couple consulted
with their children to create
an endowment, The
Anderson Family Scholarship, that specifically

ill and Sue Hensler began their personal collection of art by Native artists in the early 1950s, and continue
to collect today. With a lifelong passion for Native American and Inuit art, they travel to art fairs and artists’
markets, meeting with artists along the way. Over the years, they have become personal friends with nearly half
of the artists represented in their collection.

Above:
In the mid 1960’s,
painter R.C. Gorman
created this portrait
of Sue Hensler –
a treasured piece
of the couple’s vast
collection of Native
American artworks.
Right:
Bill & Sue Hensler in 2014

The Henslers have always purchased work that speaks to them, rather than following popular collecting trends.
They support emerging artists by purchasing new works that catch their eye, making their collection unique
and inclusive. They also compile as much information as they can gather about the artists represented in their
collection.
The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College holds the Hensler Collection of Native American Art, as
well as the Southwest Artist Files, which contain information on over 900 artists and related institutions. The
collection is a treasure for the students, community members and visitors who frequent the Museum and the
Delaney Research Library and Archives at the Center of Southwest Studies on the Fort Lewis Campus.
In the video above, Bill and Sue sat down with CSWS Curator of Collections Jeanne Brako to talk about their
long career in collecting Native American art, some advice for novice collectors, and a story or two about artist ^x