March 31 is the deadline this year for the two $500 Henry B. “Hank” Anderson Memorial Scholarships presented by Cramer & Anderson to New Milford High School graduating seniors.
The firm created the scholarships in 2020 to honor Founding Partner Hank Anderson, who died in June 2019 at age 101.
Scholarship recipients must be chosen by May 5 and the high school will hold the Scholarship & Awards Night May 31 at 7 p.m. in the theater.
Students who apply are required to submit a copy of their transcript and write an essay responding to this prompt: “Describe areas in your life where you demonstrated leadership attributes to overcome one or more obstacles experienced in school, the community or family life.”
See the 2023 List of Local and Regional Scholarships
“We have been very impressed by the students who apply for the Hank Anderson scholarships,” said Partner Jennifer Collins, who administers the initiative. “The obstacles they describe are often true hardships, and what they’ve done to overcome these challenges is inspiring, which makes giving the scholarships gratifying for the firm because the attorneys and staff who knew and worked with Hank Anderson were inspired by him every day. Learning remained a passion throughout his life, so we know he would be proud that the law firm bearing his name helps students in their quest for knowledge and enlightenment.”
See Our 2018 Tribute to Hank Anderson
Hank Anderson died at age 101 on June 22, 2019, at home in Brewster, Mass., where he lived with his wife “Bunny” (Theresa Virginia).
A proud graduate of Wesleyan University and the University of Connecticut School of Law, he was a decorated Navy veteran who survived kamikaze attacks on two ships during World War II. The first was an attack by two kamikaze pilots on the USS Bunker Hill on May 11, 1945, as it supported the attack on Okinawa. Nearly 400 sailors were killed. The second came only days later, when the USS Enterprise was attacked by a kamikaze pilot, killing 14.
Following the war, and after finishing his master’s and law degrees—graduating from Wesleyan and UConn on the same day—Anderson came to western Connecticut to live and work, joining the firm of Attorney Harry Bradbury before partnering with Attorney Francis S. Ferriss to form the firm Ferriss and Anderson.
After Attorney Ferriss died in 1957, Anderson and his friend Attorney Paul B. Altermatt formed Anderson and Altermatt. In 1962, they joined their firm with Cramer, Blick, Fitzgerald & Hume to create Cramer & Anderson, which was originally based in New Milford and Litchfield and has grown to include six offices in western Connecticut.
Among his many state and national roles, Anderson served as president of the Litchfield County Bar Association and was a Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Association and American Bar Association. In addition to guiding Cramer & Anderson, he helped to shape the practice of law in Connecticut and beyond.
“Anderson was the recipient of numerous distinguished legal awards,” a UConn Law story recounted. “In 1989 he was voted Citizen of the Year by the State of Connecticut Courts of Probate. In 1990, The Connecticut Bar Association awarded him the John Eldred Shields Award for his professional services to the community at large—over 900 hours of pro bono services. He was also voted Probate Attorney of the Year by the Connecticut Probate Assembly.”
In 2018, the Connecticut Law Tribune honored Anderson with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“The passing of Hank Anderson was the end of an era, not only for Cramer & Anderson but for the Bar here in Connecticut,” Partner Art Weinshank said at the time of Anderson’s death. “His personal accomplishments and prominence gave such stature to the firm and made us more than a local Litchfield County law firm.”
To learn more about Hank Anderson, see a story about his life published in the Greater New Milford Spectrum, and his obituary published in The News-Times.
