In Memoriam: Barry F. Anderson, 1935-2017 arry F. Anderson, professor emeritus of psychology, died July 2 at his home in Portland with his wife and daughter at his side. He was 81 years old. Professor Anderson was born Sept. 14, 1935, in Palo Alto, California, to Lillian B. Anderson, née Thompson, and Harold F. Anderson, a Swedish immigrant. During his primary and secondary schooling, he became involved in Scouting, and its emphasis on self-reliance, thinking ahead, and thinking of others left a deep impression on him. He achieved the Scouting ranks of Eagle and Ranger before graduating from Sequoia Union High School, Redwood City, California, in 1953. In 1953 Professor Anderson entered Stanford University. He worked three jobs to pay for his own education, and graduated magna cum laude in psychology and pre-medicine in 1957. Two years later he entered the master’s program in psychology at the University of Oregon. It was there that he met Aliki Ganiatsos, the daughter of Greek immigrants. They married, and, in the words of a fellow graduate student, became a “pair of bookends.” In 1963, Professor Anderson received a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, with an emphasis on cognition and problem solving, from Johns Hopkins University. Professor Anderson observed that he “always seemed to have been interested in rationality—first, in how to define it, then in how to become more rational himself, and, finally, in how to help others do the same.” His interest in rationality began early. He enjoyed high school algebra and delighted in solving algebra problems he found in the local newspaper. His love for maps revealed itself as he worked for his Surveying merit badge, learned to pilot the family cruiser around San Francisco Bay, found his way in the Sierra Nevadas, and competed in sports car rallies and Orienteering competitions. Professor Anderson’s interest in rationality became more sharply focussed as he moved through his academic career, first as an assistant professor at the University of Oregon from 1963 to 1968, then as an associate professor, professor, and professor emeritus at Portland State. While at the University of Oregon, Professor Anderson wrote The Psychology Experiment, a best-seller among texts for teaching scientific method to psychology undergraduates. At Portland State he created The Wise Decider, a computer program that applies the same principles a decision analyst uses to evaluate possible courses of action to finding the best paths through life’s complexities. Among Professor Anderson’s publications were Cognitive Psychology: The study of knowing, learning, and thinking (1975); The Complete Thinker: A handbook of techniques for creative and critical problem solving (1980); and The Three Secrets of Wise Decision Making (2002). After he retired, Professor Anderson taught decision making to inmates at Columbia River Correctional Institution for several years. He also began studying Swedish, becoming proficient in the Swedish language and culture. He traveled to Sweden four times, tracking down relatives and establishing long-lasting relationships with them. Professor Anderson is survived by his wife, Aliki Anderson; his daughter, Delia Anderson; his son, Erik Olaf Anderson; his brother, David Anderson; and his sister, Judith Bauer. -–Doug Swanson 5 B
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz