James R. Anderson Lecture

Have you ever wondered why things are where they are? Most people probably don't think about this question much. Through life's experiences we learned that certain things can be expected to be where they are relative to other things. Schools are near residential neighborhoods. Doctor's offices are near hospitals. Unless something calls attention to it, you probably don't think about why something is where it is; you just know that's the case. This paper about how a geographer, practicing his craft, was able to solve real world problems. The street opinion is that geography is about place names; knowing where all the countries are; that's not the “geography” I know and not what I want to be known for doing. I am an applied geographer who likes to solve problems, which if solved, make a difference in society. This is a story about how my life was intertwined with Jim Anderson's life and experiences as an applied geographer as well as numerous other applied geographers, spanning the last 50 to 60 years.