The University Record, November 5, 1997
Anneke de Bruyn Overseth
Anneke De Bruyn Overseth died Oct. 29 of pancreatic cancer. She was 63.
Born in Amsterdam, Overseth moved to the United States in 1941, where her late father, Peter, was a professor of anatomy at the University of Chicago.
As a young child, she won a spot on the nationally syndicated radio program “The Quiz Kids.” After earning a B.A. from the University of Chicago, she pursued graduate studies at Brown University before moving to Ann Arbor in 1961 with her former husband, Oliver Overseth, professor emeritus of physics.
While raising her family, Overseth was an early and active volunteer leader in building several community resources, including Planned Parenthood, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the Michigan Theater Foundation.
She began a 25-year career with U-M development programs in 1971. Her first assignment was to promote recruiting for the President’s Club and to coordinate fund raising and communications initiatives for cultural units, including the campaign to complete the Power Center for the Performing Arts.
Overseth became the first director of development and external relations for the Business School in 1979. In this role she designed and led the creation of an organization that quickly undertook a $15 million campaign to construct a new library and executive education center.
In 1986 she was appointed associate dean for external relations, one of the few women in a senior management position at the University at that time.
Prior to her retirement in 1996, Overseth also served the University as director of development for the arts.
She is survived by daughters Alison Overseth (Alan Bozian) of New York and Tenley LeSann (Bernard) of Geneva; grandchildren Hannah, Peter and Emily Bozian and Brandon and Clayton Le Sann; sister Yolande Markel (Ray); and three nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Individualized Hospice Patient Care Fund in Ann Arbor, Food Gatherers of Ann Arbor or the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
