Waldorf College held a ceremony this morning to celebrate the largest endowment in the school’s history. 1969 Waldorf graduate Bradbury Anderson is now CEO of Best Buy, and says business has been good lately, one reason he’s able to give five and-a-half million dollars to his alma mater. Anderson says there’s also been an effort to strengthen and “repurpose” the school and he figures his money could be well used. Anderson says his experience at Waldorf gave him perspective on life. Andersen went from Waldorf to a secular school in Denver and says while both were good for education, he realized the experience of a “shared community of faith” was a good one. Anderson says through his life, he’s seen things he learned at Waldorf affirmed, and it’s helped deepen his faith. Bradford Anderson went to work in 1973 for “The Sound of Music,” and worked his way up through management as the chain became the Best Buy company, which Andersen heads today. He and his wife Janet have given five and-a-half million dollars to Waldorf, and president Tom Jolivette says there are few restrictions on the gift. The funds have no earmark, Jolivette says, so it’ll go to the general operating fund for continuing development of the bachelor’s degree programs. Since Bradbury Anderson attended Waldorf, the school also grew, from a junior college to a four-year institution offering 27 bachelor’s degree programs. The 600-student school in Forest Lake got a big gift last month, four-and-a-half Million from the John and Louise Hanson Foundation, money that’s earmarked for a new library.
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