In Remembrance: Andrew Allan Anspach ’43 Died on May 5 2013

View full image

On May 5, 2013, Andrew Allan Anspach passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in New York City after a long illness.

Andrew was born on December 31, 1921, in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in Orange, in an area of the state where his family ran a small chain of optical stores since 1895.  After graduating from Newark Academy, he entered Yale and majored in economics, winning a departmental prize for his thesis, which was classified during World War II.  At Yale, Andrew continued his childhood love for the arts, serving as the manager of the Glee Club and as a member of the Dramat’s business board.

Following five battle stars and European combat service with the 302nd Field Artillery Battalion, Andrew entered Columbia Law School. After graduation and a successful career as a management consultant, advising companies such as Lever Brothers and Hilton Hotels, he began a career that perfectly suited his personality and skills: the managing director of the Algonquin Hotel in New York City. 

Merging his love for the arts, business abilities, and knack for hospitality, Andrew managed the Algonquin Hotel from 1957 to 1987.He loved his job and was adored by generations of staff and guests.  He treated everyone with dignity and respect, from the dishwashers on his staff to the most illustrious guests, and he made everyone feel like they were part of a warm, welcoming, and exciting family.

In 1980, Andrew reopened the hotel’s cabaret supper club, which had been closed since World War II. Under his guidance, the cabaret supper club in the hotel’s famed Oak Room helped catapult the careers of such practitioners of the American Songbook as Michael Feinstein, Harry Connick Jr., and Diana Krall.

Andrew leaves behind an adoring family, including his wife of 56 years, Barbara; daughters Elizabeth and Roxanna; and five grandchildren.

— Submitted by the family.