Recipient of the 2000 EASA Award

In 1946, Mr. Anderson and his brother Bud Peterson started A&P Electric in St. Paul, Minnesota, where they repaired electric motors and were members of the National Industrial Service Association (NISA), a forerunner to what is now EASA. He was active in the local chapter, eventually serving as chapter president.

In 1960, Mr. Anderson and his family moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where he joined Mielke Electric as plant superintendent, eventually obtaining the role of vice president.
In 1979, Mr. Anderson and his son, Art, founded Electrical Mechanical Services in St. Paul, Minnesota. Under their leadership, the company has grown to become one of the leading electric motor service facilities in the Minneapolis-St.Paul area.

Mr. Anderson was an EASA member for more than 45 years, and served as international president in 1972-73. He was largely responsible for the development of EASA’s first 15 technical training films. He developed and taught EASA’s Large AC Equipment seminar for 18 years, developed and taught EASA’s Shop Supervisor seminar for 15 years and taught EASA’s first DC seminar for 12 years. He spoke at numerous chapter meetings and EASA conventions. He was a regular contributor to the Association’s original publication, EASA News, which later became EASA Magazine, and served as engineering editor. Mr. Anderson was also a life member of the IEEE and the Vibration Institute.

In addition to being very involved with EASA, he was very active in community groups.  Throughout his life, Mr. Anderson was a member of two Rotary Clubs, a Lions Club, the Duluth Lighthouse for the Blind, the Duluth Chamber of Commerce and the Service Corps of Retired Executives.

He also enjoyed traveling, camping, photography, hunting and fishing.

His nomination for this award by a past international president was corroborated by no less than 10 other past presidents plus many EASA friends.

Mr. Anderson's son, Art Anderson, said this about his father during the eulogy delivered at his father’s funeral on July 16, 1999:

His peers and fellow EASAns always held him in the highest regard. Jim Anderson was an achiever who set high expectations for himself and for others around him. He was determined to live his life to the fullest. He was determined to take his limited education and soar to the top of his profession. He was determined to start a new business at the age of 56 and take it from a crazy idea to a company that is an industry leader. He was always determined to find solutions to engineering or technical problems. He was determined to live a life that served his family, church, friends, business, community and profession, and finish his life with dignity.