Supporting the Arts at Lowell and Honoring a Beloved Faculty Mentor

A tap dancer from the age of 5, Leslie Toto Danielson (Lowell Class of 1976) was destined to cross paths at Lowell with Visual & Performing Arts department head Jack Anderson in his stage movement class. Through her subsequent work with Mr. Anderson as a teaching assistant, dance lessons at the popular Anderson Sisters Dance Studio in the Richmond district, and roles in a vaudeville revue at Jack's performance space on Clement Street, Mr. Anderson became a valued mentor. 

In recognition of Mr. Anderson's tremendous support, Leslie and her husband Al have made provisions in their estate plan to permanently endow the Jack Anderson Fund for Visual and Performing Arts—which will benefit future generations of Lowell students.

Some of Leslie's other favorite memories of Lowell involve working with meticulous perfectionist Joe Tanzi in his production of "Follies" and returning to Lowell during her college years to choreograph "Anything Goes."

And while husband Al Danielson didn’t attend Lowell, his family’s connections to Lowell can be traced back nearly a century. His father, Albert Danielson, graduated with the Lowell Class of December 1930, and several cousins attended in the 1950s.

Many thanks to Leslie and Al Danielson for doing so much to honor a Lowell teacher who has played an important role in the lives of thousands of students and for supporting our vibrant Visual and Performing Arts program!