Please submit some of your memories of Glen Anderson to Works in Progress!
We will print them in our upcoming October 15th Issue
written by Fred Silsby and Janet Jordan;
Olympia activist Glen Anderson died June 12, 2024. Glen was one of the founders of the Olympia chapter of Fellowship of Reconciliation in 1976, and for many years his activism in Olympia FOR was like an unpaid full-time job, even when Glen was still working in his actual full-time paid job. In the past few years, Glen spent much of his activist time producing his monthly TV show, but he still nurtured and attended Olympia FOR’s twice weekly peace vigils. Glen was also a stalwart of Western Washington FOR, and served in many capacities including secretary, membership and chapter development, fundraising, and conference organizing. Glen served on the Board of FOR-USA and reported to WWFOR on national activities and decisions. Glen excelled in drawing people into FOR; every vigil was an opportunity to introduce new people to the organization. Glen was also a founder in 2016 of the Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, OCANW, in which Olympia FOR joined with other organizations creating a strong coalition of peace activists. Glen often offered free courses to the community on grassroots organizing, nonviolence, and nuclear weapons. We remember Glen for his enduring belief that people could make a difference, his prodigious work, his sense of humor, and his kindness.
written by Charlotte Persons;
Works in Progress would not exist right now without the leadership of Glen Anderson. When he got word about the WIP WRAP party in October 2023, he contacted people who had contributed to WIP and asked if they were willing to keep WIP alive. The result was a meeting of 12 people and the beginning of the current group of WIP volunteers who took over from the “old guard” led by Managing Editor Bethany Weidner.
Glen said from the beginning that he wanted to help get WIP going again but planned to back out so he could concentrate on his TV program and other activism. In January/February 2024 he did exactly that. I think his decision was also due to his already beginning to feel sick although the doctors could not yet make a diagnosis.
We WIP volunteers were lucky to have Glen as a guiding light because of his organizational skills and his ability to smooth over interpersonal problems. No matter what the problem–monetary, editorial, or ideological– he always stayed positive, and he was willing to tackle it.
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