1970s
Erling Hansen ’70
Among the nation’s most prominent lawyers in the field of managed health care, was born on July 28, 1948, in Drobak, Norway. The eldest child of Torleif, a sales manager, and Ruth Elizabeth Stranger Hansen, he came to the United States with his immigrant parents at the age of 5. He grew up in Beaver Falls, NY, southeast of Watertown, and was graduated in 1966 from Beaver Falls Central School. He entered Hamilton that fall and went out for cross-country and track, sports in which he had lettered in high school. He majored in French and participated in Hamilton’s Junior Year in France program. Upon his return to campus in 1969, he found a highly changed atmosphere, with women on the scene (students of the recently established Kirkland College) and peace demonstrations in response to the Vietnam War.
Erling Hansen enrolled in law school at Syracuse University following his graduation in 1970. He obtained his J.D. degree in 1973 and soon moved to Washington, DC, where he found employment as a staff attorney with Aspen Systems Corp., a consulting firm. In 1977, after a year with the comprehensive health plans office of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, where he gained experience in the area of health laws and regulation of health maintenance organizations (HMOs), he joined the Group Health Association of America, the national HMO trade?organization.
Appointed general counsel of the Association in 1979, Erling Hansen served in that capacity until he entered private practice in 1994. During his years as general counsel, he engaged in lobbying activities and coordination of legislation relating to HMOs, and not only saw the tremendous growth of the managed health care industry but also contributed significantly to the legal aspects of its development. He was an early proponent of the National Health Lawyers Association, which now, as the American Health Lawyers Association, comprises some 10,000 attorneys engaged in the health care field.
In 1994, Erling Hansen joined the firm of King, Pagano & Harrison in Washington. He built a client base made up primarily of HMOs and health care trade associations. He also served as director of legal affairs for the George Washington University Health Plan. Later he became of counsel to the law firm of Alderman, Devorsetz & Hora, also in Washington. In addition, he served as director of legal affairs and contracting for Quadrus, a firm dedicated to assisting disadvantaged patients in obtaining government benefits to cover their health care costs. As an attorney and member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, he was also highly committed to local District of Columbia efforts to serve community health care needs.
An active member of All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church, Erling Hansen, whose affection for the bard was inspired by Professor Edwin Barrett on College Hill, could also be found in regular attendance at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington. He felt a strong connection to his country of birth and was for many years a member of the Sons of Norway. In his spare time he took to sailing. He enjoyed navigating the waters of Chesapeake Bay and one summer even sailed across the Atlantic with a group of friends.
Erling Hansen, a faithful and generous supporter of the College, died on July 21, 2011, at his home in Washington, of pancreatic cancer, a week short of his 63rd birthday. He is survived by his companion, Deion Randolff, as well as two brothers and a sister. Previously married, in 1979, to Anne S. Easton, he is also survived by the three children they adopted from Russia, Luba, Ana, and Andrei.
Benjamin Reed Anthony ’78
A construction project manager, grew up in Concord, MA, where he was born on April 10, 1956. The elder son of Reed P., Jr., a financial administrator, and Barbara Beatley Anthony, a school teacher, “Ben” Anthony came to College Hill in 1974 from Concord-Carlyle High School. He became a member of Sigma Phi and remained on the Hill for three semesters.
Interested in building construction since his youth, Ben Anthony moved to California and initially worked as a carpenter in the construction industry there. He returned to Massachusetts in 1992 and was employed as a project manager for several construction companies, most recently Diversified Project Management of Newton. He resided in Littleton, where on December 24, 2009, he was married to Jeanne Phillips.
Ben Anthony particularly enjoyed outdoor activities, including hiking, jogging, biking, and chopping wood around the home he built himself, and he recently constructed his own woodshed. He was also fond of photography. He was active as a youth group leader in the First Unitarian Church in Littleton, and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he volunteered to supervise framing teams for Habitat for Humanity during reconstruction efforts in Mississippi.
Known for his “thoughtful generosity and humor,” Benjamin R. Anthony died at his home in Littleton on December 23, 2011, after a valiant battle with cancer. His wife, as well as his parents and a brother and a sister, survive him. Previously married to Renee Ann Shragg, he is also survived by their four daughters, Jenn, Kristin, Megan, and Becky Anthony, in addition to two stepsons.
