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Centennial Celebration

Anderson Center for Autism is celebrating our 100th year!
The tagline for our Centennial Celebration is a legacy of compassion, a century of impact!

 

Centennial Celebration Donation – Click here to make a donation in honor of our Centennial Celebration!

Have an Anderson memory you would like to share? Email our Communications Team at info@AndersonCares.org!

Anderson’s Centennial in the news!
Anderson Center for Autism Prepares to Kick off 100-Year Anniversary Celebration
The Secrets to Longevity for Nonprofits
Anderson Center For Autism Kicks Off Centennial Celebration with Special Event
Anderson Center for Autism Celebrates 100 Years

Centennial Spotlight
Dr. Victor V. Anderson
Carolyn Weber
Vance Anderson Gage
Jeanne Raichle
Richard B.
Alberta Zeliph
Rebecca Valk
Jake V.

In honor of Anderson’s centennial year, we will be sharing 100 different facts about ACA leading up to our
Centennial Celebration Gala in September!

Did you know…?

  • Anderson was founded in 1924 by psychiatrist Victor V. Anderson.
  • All Children’s Program residences on Anderson’s campus are named after trees, except for Upper/Lower Davis & Dellinwood.
  • Anderson was first called The Anderson School, before becoming Anderson Center for Autism in 2006.
  • Anderson’s mission is to Optimize the Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism.
  • Vance Gage, Victor V. Anderson’s grandson, has previously served Anderson as a board of trustee member for many years.
  • For a short time, Anderson was located in New Jersey before permanently relocating to Staatsburg, NY.
  • Eleanor Roosevelt was the speaker at an Anderson Commencement Ceremony in the 1940’s.
  • Anderson’s administrative building, Spruces Business Center, was formerly a dormitory hall for students.
  • Walkways on our campus are named after our founder Victor V. Anderson and his family (Polly, Gage, Vance, Anderson).
  • Each year, Anderson presents the V.V. Anderson Community Service Award during our annual Gala event.
  • Anderson’s first adult group home Shelley Hill IRA, opened in 1993.
  • The Anderson campus is over 100 acres, extending from Route 9 to the Hudson River.
  • A time capsule to be opened in 2107 is buried on the Anderson campus in Staatsburg.
  • Anderson expanded their services to the Capital Region of New York in 2021 with the opening of Anderson Center Clinic and Anderson Early Learning Academy in Latham.
  • Anderson’s founder worked for R. H. Macy & Co. in NYC as a medical research director before opening Anderson School.
  • Anderson School had a distinguished honor society, formed in 1933 called “Alpha Beta”.
  • Anderson’s art program, Expressive Outcomes, held its first art exhibit in 2004, in one of their LifeLong Learning℠ Centers.
  • The Anderson Athletics program’s official team name is the Blue Knights.
  • Anderson’s family group Anderson Family Partners, was established by parents, guardians and immediate family members of individuals we serve in 2013.
  • Anderson hosts a weekly podcast titled after the autism prevalence rate in the U.S – “1 in 36”.
  • There are 17 residences on our Staatsburg campus housing all indiviudals in our residential children’s program.
  • Anderson employs over 900 team members in various departments and positions: Nursing, Operations, IT, Direct Support Professionals, Day Habilitation Specialists, Teachers/TAs and more!
  • The Anderson campus was transformed during our master site plan renovations from 2005 until completion in 2012.
  • Dr. Anderson’s wife, Margaret, known to students as Miss Peggy, took over Anderson School when he passed away in 1960.
  • Anderson individuals have been competing in Special Olympics events since 1988!
  • American writer and novelist Gore Vidal was the Anderson School Commencement speaker for the class of 1960.
  • Our founder Dr. Anderson was born in Barbourville, Kentucky in 1878.
  • Anderson Foundation for Autism has hosted the annual Anderson Golf Classic since 2001!
  • Anderson has three Boards of Trustees: Anderson Center for Autism & Anderson Center Services, Anderson Foundation for Autism, and Anderson Center International.
  • In 1976, local businessman Dominic Giambona purchased Anderson School & the surrounding property from the Anderson family.
  • Anderson’s adult residential program is comprised of 25 Individual Residential Alternatives, or IRAs located throughout the Hudson Valley.
  • Anderson’s founder Victor V. Anderson served as a scientific advisor to the New York State Prison Commission in 1919.
  • Anderson individuals create handmade recycled cards from plantable paper via our Growing Gift program.
  • Anderson is a proud member of the Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, and Dutchess County Chambers of Commerce.
  • The Village of Rhinebeck was ACCT’s first Autism Supportive Community designee.
  • In 1988, Anderson formed Anderson Foundation for Autism to help fundraising efforts.
  • The old mansion on the Anderson estate was named Mansewood because it was the original “Manse” of the parish of St. James in Hyde Park.
  • In 2014, Anderson was the Dutchess County Economic Development Council Grand Award Winner of Business Excellence.
  • Previously, Anderson’s logo contained three birds which represened the student, the family, and Anderson School.
  • The oldest original building on campus (Spruces) was built in 1935.
  • ACA has had a few name changes: “The Spruces School” in 1924, “The Anderson School” in 1934 and “Anderson Center for Autism” in 2006.
  • Anderson became a nonprofit organization in 1981.
  • Dellinwood, the historic 11,000-square-foot carriage house on our campus has housed many people over the years: members of the Anderson family, international scholars, and Anderson graduates.
  • Anderson’s first on-campus residence for students with autism – Midwood Cottage – opened in 1977.
  • Anderson Center Consulting & Training have trained over 75 local businesses in becoming Autism Supportive Environments.
  • Anderson’s state of the art school building, The Anderson Education Center, opened in 2001.
  • Anderson’s podcast “1 in 36” has been airing since 2012.
  • In 2009, Anderson Center for Autism received the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal.
  • Anderson held its first fundraising Gala in 2001, at the Culinary Institute of America.
  • Founder Dr. Victor V. Anderson obtained his Master’s Degree in Psychology from Harvard University in 1916.
  • Dr. Anderson’s daughter Polly, was heavily involved in the local community, serving on multiple boards: The Barrett House Gallery, the Children’s Home, the Cunneen Hackett Cultural Center, the Dutchess County Arts Council, and the Poughkeepsie YMCA.
  • Previously, part of the Anderson property included a school in the village of Staatsburg and Norrie Point.
  • Anderson School had a student-run newspaper called “The Quill” and later “The Anderson School Express”.
  • The Anderson School mascot was the Tiger.
  • Businesses and organizations in the Village of Rhinebeck committed in 2019 to “Do One Thing” as part of its efforts to become designated by ACCT as an Autism Supportive Community.
  • The Mansewood estate was purchased by Mr. Francis Landon in 1893, who was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to Third Secretary of the American Embassy at Berlin.
  • In 2001, Anderson School established the V.V. Anderson Community Service Award.
  • Anderson Early Learning Academy in Latham, NY boasts 9 classrooms as of 2024.
  • Mansewood mansion was completed in 1811 and was originally called “Inwood”. Reverand John McVickar, Jr, Rector of St. James Church in Hyde Park was the architect, and lived on the property.
  • Our founder Dr. Anderson graduated from the University of Louisville Medical School in 1903.
  • Individuals in our Adult Program create and sell handmade dog treats through the Belly Grub Dog Treats business which helps promote vocational training!
  • Davis Cottage is one of the oldest standing buildings on our campus today. It was completed in October 1936, and is still used to house students.
  • Anderson collaborates with many local businesses to provide discounts and perks for our team members.
  • Anderson School students in the 1940s-1960s hailed from all over country, as well as South America – Argentina, Venezuela, and more.
  • Anderson Center Consulting and Training recently partnered with Newark Liberty International Airport to consult on the design of their new sensory room at Terminal A.
  • In 2022, Anderson CEO Patrick Paul was awarded the SUNY Empire State College Citizen Laureate Award which recognizes distinguished leadership and outstanding contributions through education and community service.
  • Each year Anderson celebrates our team members achievements and employment anniversaries at our Staff Recognition event.
  • The Anderson family had many pets while they lived in Mansewood, including a Weimaraner named Mr. Dooley, and a Pekinese named Penny.
  • Prominent author, speaker, and autism advocate Temple Grandin appeared on Anderson’s podcast “1 in 36” in 2019.
  • Anderson School students creatively formed a band in the 1960’s named The Coba Seas.
  • Anderson has their own ECHO, titled ECHO Autism Anderson. Each ECHO session consists of a case presentation by a community-based educational provider and a knowledge burst presentation by the HUB team, which includes ACA team members.
  • Anderson’s Wellness Committee hosts multiple workshops a year, and also facilitates a Basketball and Volleyball league.
  • Anderson has many education partners: Marist College, Mount Saint Mary College, Dutchess Community College, SUNY Empire State College, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College, and more.
  • Anderson Center Consulting & Training offers an Autism Supportive Employment for businesses to help them expand their workforce, elevate their brand, and ensure that individuals with ASD feel included in their space.
  • The Anderson Center International program has brought in individuals from over 20 different countries to train alongside ACA team members.
  • ACA now has three different Anderson Early Learning Academy locations: Latham, Pine Plains, and Mt. Marion.
  • Patrick D. Paul became the Executive Director/CEO of Anderson Center for Autism in 2017.
  • Anderson’s family group, Anderson Family Partners meets monthly to discuss current ACA events, get updates, meet other families, give and receive support, and more!
  • Each year, one Anderson team member is given the “Staff Excellence Award” at our staff recognition event.
  • The Dutch Door was a school supplies store on the Anderson campus in the 1990s.