At Minnesota State University, Mankato, the loss of Al Annexstad ’67, who died July 8 at the age of 82, brings to light the impact he had not only on his alma mater but on education around the country.
His was a rags-to-riches story in which his good fortune was shared through nearly 1,300 scholarships to students around the U.S.—including many at Minnesota State Mankato.
Annexstad will be remembered as a thoughtful businessman, a dedicated husband, father and friend, and a philanthropist whose generosity touched students who, like him, had to navigate difficult economic circumstances.
After earning degrees in business and social sciences in 1967, Annexstad took a sales job with Federated Insurance—a southern Minnesota firm founded in 1904. He worked his way up through the company and was named the CEO in 1999. A year after becoming CEO, Annexstad and his wife Cathy established the Annexstad Family Foundation to provide college scholarships to students who overcame challenging backgrounds.
Three students in the University of Mississippi‘s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College have been awarded scholarships from the Annexstad Family Foundation.