Wendell Saaf Anderson

Andy lived a robust life: born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, to Swedish immigrants, he was just 8 when the Great Depression hit, thus quickly learning the value of a dollar. Out of necessity, he left high school at 16 to become a runner for the Northern Trust Bank of Chicago, before joining the Navy with his mother's permission at 17. Andy proudly served his country in World War II as a SeaBee in the Philippines from 1943 to 1946 and later wrote a book about his war experience. In 1951, Andy earned a degree in Fine Arts from Drake University and went on to become a pioneer in television production. One of his first shows was They Stand Accused, a dramatized court show on the DuMont Network from 1949 to 1952. Throughout his life, Andy had a diverse range of interests and successful careers, including professor of Advertising and Promotion at Rockford College, Executive Director of the Illinois Food Retailers Association, shopping center developer and promoter in Illinois, Florida, and Indiana, and a Political Campaign Director for John B. Anderson's presidential run in 1980. He also helped establish the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Convention. Relocating to a warmer climate in 1997, Andy spent his retirement years at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, Florida, and became a patron of the Ringling School of the Arts, the Sarasota Opera, and a member of the Broadcasters Media Club. In his final years, Andy moved to Los Angeles to be closer to his only child, his daughter, Jennifer.