By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Dr. William M. Anderson, founding director of the Michigan Department of History Arts and Libraries (HAL), should have no trouble finding his way around Dowagiac while featured at a Monday, May 12, reception at the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival headquarters in Huntington Bank.
Anderson, who has now served in both the Engler and Granholm administrations, spent a portion of his 33-year career in higher education at Southwestern Michigan College, where he has lectured at the SMC Museum on Dowagiac's role in the Civil War.
He is also a baseball expert whose history of the Detroit Tigers recently won the Award of Merit from the Historical Society of Michigan, of which he is a past president.
Dogwood's reception for Anderson lasts from 4 to 5 p.m. May 12.
He is scheduled to speak about 4:30.
Anderson spent 21 years of his career in higher education as a college president at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Ill., and West Shore Community College between Ludington and Manistee.
In his second career, Anderson served as a strategic planning consultant for industry, local units of government, economic development organizations and schools and been engaged as a writer and professional speaker.
Republican Gov. John Engler appointed him the founding HAL director in August 2001.
Michigan's new Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm named him to her cabinet, too, reappointing Anderson as HAL director.
Anderson earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history and a doctorate in the administration of higher education.
His secondary concentration was in speech communications.
Before beginning his career in education, he served in the Army as a commissioned officer in Germany with the 4th Armored Division.
He is the author and editor of five books and 17 published articles. Among his books are: "They Died to Make Men Free: History of the 19th Michigan Infantry," "We are Sherman's Men: The Civil War Letters of Henry Orendorff" and "The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers' History.
He has completed 34 published interviews of Tigers players, is a published reviewer of several books, served as historical evaluator of an original Civil War play produced by Western Illinois University and produced three Civil War re-enactments. Anderson is a past member of two editorial boards and of the Michigan Humanities Council.
He has served as president of three chambers of commerce in Michigan and in Illinois, chaired many economical development organizations and is the recipient of numerous awards, including being named Citizen of the Year in both Ludington and Manistee, Boss of the Year in Galesburg, Ill., and twice named Business Leader of the Year for his work in economic development.
Anderson received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Grand Valley State University.
He has not always been an executive, however. Bill grew up on a Michigan farm and was a farm laborer for many years.
He worked for a commercial painting firm, painting barns, houses, churches and factories.
He was also a construction worker and a laborer in an auto parts warehouse.