In a spontaneous act of friendship, Nathaniel de Rothschild (MBA '71) recently made a generous gift to the School in the name of his longtime friend and HBS classmate Franklin R. Anderson (MBA '71).

To give special recognition to the gift and the friendship it celebrates, nearly one hundred close friends and family members of both men attended a gathering at the School last May. De Rothschild and Anderson offered remarks, as did one of their former professors, George A. von Peterffy, and Dean Kim B. Clark.

"Today we're celebrating two people whose lives have been connected in a wonderful way," said Clark. "We're grateful to be part of the celebration of this friendship."

Speaking candidly and, at times, with strong emotion, de Rothschild, the French-born president of the private investment company Nathaniel de Rothschild Holdings, Ltd., and Anderson, a dynamic force in a wide range of business, community development, and philanthropic activities, recalled their early days as students at HBS. Initially leery of the gregarious Anderson, de Rothschild said that he soon became fascinated by his stories about starting businesses in the ghettos of Cleveland, an endeavor Anderson had undertaken in 1966 as cofounder of Cleveland's Hough Area Community Development Corporation (HADC). "In the summer of 1970," de Rothschild related, "I spent time with Frank in Cleveland, and it was then that I realized what a great leader he was and why the world needs more people like him."

Anderson, who in addition to his role with the HADC had served as Midwest chair of the Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) before coming to HBS, said that initially he believed he would not get a fair shake as a black person at a predominantly white institution; thus, he said jokingly, he studied de Rothschild's movements and did what he did. "If he [de Rothschild] scribbled notes, then I scribbled notes, and if he looked inattentive, then I'd look up at the wall!" Brought together over their mutual interest in honing their business leadership skills, this unlikely pair struck up, in de Rothschild's words, "a glorious and amazing friendship."

"Our class at Harvard was very special," emphasized Anderson, who retired in 1993 as chairman of the board of Custom Molders, Inc., of Durham, North Carolina. "At HBS we spent more time caring about each other than competing, yet when we celebrated our 25th Reunion last year, it was obvious that there were a number of very successful people among us."

George von Peterffy, who taught Planning in the Business Environment, the course in which Anderson and de Rothschild first met, commented, "I wanted my students to understand not to squander power but to use it quietly and to set an example." Anderson's life as a builder of businesses, caring employer, and dedicated philanthropist epitomizes those words. Noting that Anderson turned down the highest job offer made to any member of the Class of 1971 in order to return to commu- nity development work following HBS, de Rothschild said, "Frank is a giver, not a taker. In educating tomorrow's business leaders, it is so important for the School to continue to attract people like him. I am pleased to play a part in giving him the recognition he deserves."

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