1906 alumnus was a war hero who earned Congressional Medal of Honor

Today, March 25, is National Medal of Honor Day, a time to remember the sacrifices of men and women in uniform who have earned this highest of military honors.

Frank LaFayette Anders, Class of 1906, received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1906 for heroic actions on May 13, 1899, during the Philippine Insurrection. The practice then was to receive the medal through the mail and not from the current president. However, 57 years later, Anders again was honored at a reception held by President John and Jacqueline Kennedy on May 2, 1963.

Anders graduated with a degree in engineering. He was the first person awarded a scholarship by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied civil engineering. He served as chief engineer with Utah Smelting Corp., as city engineer with the city of Fargo, general manager of the Lucky Strike Coal Co., and consulting engineer and secretary of the North Dakota State Capitol Commission.

He also served in the Spanish-American War and as a captain in the Corps of Engineers during World War I.

Anders died Jan. 23, 1966, at the age of 90, and at the time, he was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient. He is buried with his wife and children in Hillside Cemetery in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Posted March 25, 2021 in Alumni.

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