BILL ANDERSON

Bill Anderson was always an active person. He played basketball, racquetball, and tennis, and he even trained himself to play racquetball with his left hand after he strained his right hand. In his mid-60s, while on a trip to Japan, Bill saw a man whom he assumed to be in his 80s rollerblading and decided to give it a try himself. Upon returning home, Bill bought himself a pair of rollerblades, and off he went! 

After retiring from the National Academies in 2011 at age 74, Bill knew he wanted to start regularly doing something physical that allowed him to concentrate. He soon found that long walks, which had previously been part of his weekend routine, were an ideal way to combine daily exercise and deep thinking. Bill didn't measure the distance at first, as these outings were for sheer enjoyment. He loved the way walking made him feel, and he said he got some of his best thinking done while walking. He would very often head to the study to write when he returned.

Bill’s wife, Norma, curious about the distance he was covering, measured his route and discovered that it was six miles! Norma would often go with Bill on his walks, but she would only go about half the distance. Bill would sometimes tease her by walking backwards while she walked forwards. Bill continued to walk every day until his passing in 2013. 

Upon learning about Bill’s routine from Norma, and the first cohort of Bill Anderson Fund students (commonly referenced as the BAF Founding Fellows) decided to create an annual event that carried forward Bill’s practice of literal active thinking. The BAF Disaster Dash 5K celebrates Bill’s practice of combining exercise with deep thoughtfulness about mitigating the impacts of hazards and disasters.