The Notable Women Series
Written by the late John Anderson.
John Edward Anderson, former director of the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s News and Publications Office for 27 years
influenced the university and the community from the time he arrived in
Central Wisconsin in 1967 until his death in 1994.
Anderson, UWSP’s unofficial historian, was in charge of
distributing news about campus to newspapers and other media
throughout the state. He published a weekly faculty/staff newsletter
along with a bi-yearly alumni newspaper.
A Mondovi native who graduated from the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Anderson was also involved in the community.
He was active in the State and Portage County Historical Societies. He
was a founding member of the Central Wisconsin Press Club and a
member of the Wisconsin Americans Revolution Bicentennial
Commission. He also edited newsletters for the Wisconsin Academy of
Physicians Assistants, Stevens Point Downtown Action Committee and
the Portage County Historical Society.
Always interested in the history and heritage of the people
around him, Anderson wrote “A County Sampler”, a popular Stevens
Point Journal column, for many years. He also was an avid collector of
postcards that captured scenes from early Wisconsin life. After his death,
two books were published in his memory, “A County Sampler”, which
contained 50 of his esteemed columns, and “For the Love of Postcards”, a
compilation of Anderson’s postcard collection.
On August 31, 1994, Anderson died from lymphoma, a form of
cancer, after a lengthy illness.
Many who knew the soft-spoken man came to appreciate his
good sense of humor and his professionalism. He was a well-known and
liked man who helped create a sense of pride in the past and value of
heritage in Portage County.