Kurt and Anny Landsberger Scholarship for Environmental Studies

After serving in the U.S. Army, Kurt Landsberger began selling aprons, tablecloths and other accessories produced by his wife, Anny. The plastic coating on the fabrics turned out to have other uses, so the Landsbergers transformed their business, Bel-Art Products, into a maker of scientific lab equipment. The Landsbergers also founded a second company, Maddak Inc., which has grown to become the largest maker of aids for injured or permanently disabled individuals in the United States. Anny Landsberger died on March 2, 2010.

Since 2005, the Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Landsberger started has supported the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland, NJ to provide free educational field trips for 15,000 students in urban public schools in the county. The Landsbergers were also instrumental in the preservation of Verona’s Hilltop Reservation, now a county park.

“My wife and I always advocated for the environment,” said Mr. Landsberger in 2011. “We started our business together, it was successful and we decided to use some of our profits to do what we could to educate children about the environment.

The purpose of the Landsberger Scholarship at Ramapo College is to recognize students who demonstrate a commitment to environmental issues, particularly students who are involved in environmental action or protection groups. The award is selected by the Board of the Landsberger Foundation, and is based on recommendations from the Ramapo College faculty.