Hamilton College President David Wippman announced the death of Life Trustee Joe Anderson ’44, P’76 in an email to the Hamilton community on July 7.
Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,
I write with the sad news that Life Trustee Joe Anderson ’44 died during the night. He and his wife Molly recently celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary. They had two children, Missy and Rick '76, whose daughter is a member of the Class of 2016.
Joe was serving as a vice president for Dictaphone when Hamilton President Martin Carovano asked him to assume leadership of Communications and Development in 1974. With a talented group of colleagues, several of whom still work for the College, Joe developed a model alumni relations and fundraising program that embraced the active involvement of alumni volunteers. He was, quite simply, a legend in the development profession. Some of the volunteers Joe identified during his 18 years heading C&D have assumed leadership positions on the Board of Trustees, and he remained a staunch advocate for the work of the College's Advancement Office throughout his retirement.
A native of Buffalo and a Marine Corps veteran, Joe attended Phillips Academy before enrolling at Hamilton where he majored in English and political science. Following graduation, he held several managerial positions in advertising and public relations before serving for 24 years at Dictaphone.
Joe's Hamilton legacy is defined by the people he hired and recruited as volunteers for the College. A private burial service will take place in the near future, and we understand the family is planning a memorial service on campus in conjunction with a future board meeting.
