I was born in Salem in 1952 and began learning the fundamentals of woodworking at a young age from my father Bob Anderson, an orthopedic surgeon, in the hobby shop at our home. Woodworking was always an important part of my life, but it was not until an experience in Tacoma Washington in 1975 that I realized it would be my life’s work. I was in the initial stages of a math education program at Pacific Lutheran University. After spending two weeks observing in a less than inspiring algebra classroom, I thought I should check out the woodworking program. I had never been in a high school woodshop before, having learned it at home, but from the moment I stepped in the door, I knew this was the direction my life would go.