Hi folks, In the VERY early days of the EM-list (1996), Bruce Anderson (who I believe often published under the name "Lowell Bruce Anderson") participated in discussions here. Here's a link to the first EM-list conversation that Bruce participated in: http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com//1996-March/thread.html#98252 Back in 1996, my ISP was pretty cheap about providing storage, but it was all-around cheap (as I recall, I paid $96/year for Internet access, which included a free Majordomo mailing list and web hosting space). Regardless, when someone tried to send a Microsoft Word doc (which could be tens....nay HUNDREDS of kilobytes), I threatened to bring down the banhammer on that mailing-list member. But Bruce had a draft paper that he wanted to have members of the list review, and he didn't have a place to host his Word docs. He hoped that I could do it. I didn't save a digital copy of his manuscript, but I did save a paper copy that appears to have been professionally bound at Kinko's. I regret not offering web hosting for his Word doc, and I regret not saving a digital copy. I've scanned the first couple of pages of Bruce's work. I haven't tried calling the phone numbers on the cover, but I'm virtually certain those phone numbers don't work. I tried the email address, but it bounced. Any helpful hints for getting in touch with Bruce, or is it (sadly) too late for fruitful attempts by mere mortals? I don't know how old Bruce was when he mailed me his draft paper. I was (vaguely) a full-grown adult early in my career, but I'm guessing Bruce had been in the workforce a bit longer than me. Now that I'm 27 years older, I fear the worst, and I'm kicking myself for not keeping in touch with him. I've attached the first page and the abstract page of the manuscript. It's a brilliant, well-cited treatise in favor of Copeland's method. I may get around to scanning the full draft (which has six chapters and several appendices). If I get around to completing the scan, I'll let y'all know. Regardless, any ideas for finding Bruce? Rob

On 9/14/23 01:25, Rob Lanphier wrote: > Hi folks, > > In the VERY early days of the EM-list (1996), Bruce Anderson (who I > believe often published under the name "Lowell Bruce Anderson") > participated in discussions here.  Here's a link to the first EM-list > conversation that Bruce participated in: > http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com//1996-March/thread.html#98252 <http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com//1996-March/thread.html#98252> > > Back in 1996, my ISP was pretty cheap about providing storage, but it > was all-around cheap (as I recall, I paid $96/year for Internet access, > which included a free Majordomo mailing list and web hosting space). > Regardless, when someone tried to send a Microsoft Word doc (which could > be tens....nay HUNDREDS of kilobytes), I threatened to bring down the > banhammer on that mailing-list member.  But Bruce had a draft paper that > he wanted to have members of the list review, and he didn't have a place > to host his Word docs.  He hoped that I could do it. > > I didn't save a digital copy of his manuscript, but I did save a paper > copy that appears to have been professionally bound at Kinko's.  I > regret not offering web hosting for his Word doc, and I regret not > saving a digital copy.  I've scanned the first couple of pages of > Bruce's work.  I haven't tried calling the phone numbers on the cover, > but I'm virtually certain those phone numbers don't work.  I tried the > email address, but it bounced. > > Any helpful hints for getting in touch with Bruce, or is it (sadly) too > late for fruitful attempts by mere mortals?  I don't know how old Bruce > was when he mailed me his draft paper.  I was (vaguely) a full-grown > adult early in my career, but I'm guessing Bruce had been in the > workforce a bit longer than me.  Now that I'm 27 years older, I fear the > worst, and I'm kicking myself for not keeping in touch with him. I found an obit for a Lowell Bruce Anderson here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/lowell-anderson-obituary?id=2686512 Again, I don't know if it's him, but it does list the Institute for Defense Analyses. So it's possible you're too late, but if not: Perhaps you could contact the IDA and ask if they could point you in the right direction? Their contact page, https://www.ida.org/contact-ida, lists communications@ida.org as a possible email address for doing so (although strangely it's listed under the "Systems and Analyses Center".) He has also contributed to the journal "Homeland Security Affairs", e.g. https://www.hsaj.org/resources/uploads/2022/05/3.3.4.pdf. This journal is run by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, https://www.chds.us/c/. Their contact page lists a mailing address, though that's a bit more of a long shot I guess. https://www.chds.us/c/contact-chds/ Springer lists his contact address of 2009 as the IDA. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00355-008-0327-7 as does this paper from 2013: https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1504/IJAMS.2013.057111 (use sci-hub to read if you don't have access). It could still be out of date (as it also gives his email address as the one you tried), but it suggests the IDA may know more. There is a Lowell Bruce Anderson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowellbruce.anderson/ but I don't know if it's him. (I don't use Facebook myself.) -km

Thanks for finding the information, Kristofer and Bob. I did a tiny bit of research a few months ago and found an online obituary. However, I also know that some online theft involves fake obituaries, so I figured I'd cast a wide net with no presumptions and see if LazyWeb came up with the same answer I did. It seems pretty likely he died. I had a conversation with Bruce back in the 1990s, and he seemed to hint that he had at least one chronic health condition that could lead to relatively early death. I'm quite glad that he lived into his seventies, but disappointed in myself for not keeping in touch with him. In spite of what a pain-in-the-butt it is with my cheapo scanning setup, I really ought to finished the job. Like I said, this draft is brilliant, and I learned a lot from it over the years. I may need to ask IDA for permission to scan it and put it online, or I may need to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. I'll make that decision some other day. If y'all don't notice significant progress on this front by 2024 (and you're interested in a digital copy), please bother me about it. Thanks Rob On Thu, Sep 14, 2023 at 3:15 AM Kristofer Munsterhjelm <km_elmet@t-online.de> wrote: > On 9/14/23 01:25, Rob Lanphier wrote: > > Hi folks, > > > > In the VERY early days of the EM-list (1996), Bruce Anderson (who I > > believe often published under the name "Lowell Bruce Anderson") > > participated in discussions here. Here's a link to the first EM-list > > conversation that Bruce participated in: > > > http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com//1996-March/thread.html#98252 > < > http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com//1996-March/thread.html#98252 > > > > > > Back in 1996, my ISP was pretty cheap about providing storage, but it > > was all-around cheap (as I recall, I paid $96/year for Internet access, > > which included a free Majordomo mailing list and web hosting space). > > Regardless, when someone tried to send a Microsoft Word doc (which could > > be tens....nay HUNDREDS of kilobytes), I threatened to bring down the > > banhammer on that mailing-list member. But Bruce had a draft paper that > > he wanted to have members of the list review, and he didn't have a place > > to host his Word docs. He hoped that I could do it. > > > > I didn't save a digital copy of his manuscript, but I did save a paper > > copy that appears to have been professionally bound at Kinko's. I > > regret not offering web hosting for his Word doc, and I regret not > > saving a digital copy. I've scanned the first couple of pages of > > Bruce's work. I haven't tried calling the phone numbers on the cover, > > but I'm virtually certain those phone numbers don't work. I tried the > > email address, but it bounced. > > > > Any helpful hints for getting in touch with Bruce, or is it (sadly) too > > late for fruitful attempts by mere mortals? I don't know how old Bruce > > was when he mailed me his draft paper. I was (vaguely) a full-grown > > adult early in my career, but I'm guessing Bruce had been in the > > workforce a bit longer than me. Now that I'm 27 years older, I fear the > > worst, and I'm kicking myself for not keeping in touch with him. > > I found an obit for a Lowell Bruce Anderson here: > > https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/lowell-anderson-obituary?id=2686512 > Again, I don't know if it's him, but it does list the Institute for > Defense Analyses. So it's possible you're too late, but if not: > > Perhaps you could contact the IDA and ask if they could point you in the > right direction? Their contact page, https://www.ida.org/contact-ida, > lists communications@ida.org as a possible email address for doing so > (although strangely it's listed under the "Systems and Analyses Center".) > > He has also contributed to the journal "Homeland Security Affairs", e.g. > https://www.hsaj.org/resources/uploads/2022/05/3.3.4.pdf. This journal > is run by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, > https://www.chds.us/c/. Their contact page lists a mailing address, > though that's a bit more of a long shot I guess. > https://www.chds.us/c/contact-chds/ > > Springer lists his contact address of 2009 as the IDA. > https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00355-008-0327-7 > as does this paper from 2013: > https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1504/IJAMS.2013.057111 > (use sci-hub to read if you don't have access). It could still be out of > date (as it also gives his email address as the one you tried), but it > suggests the IDA may know more. > > There is a Lowell Bruce Anderson on Facebook: > https://www.facebook.com/lowellbruce.anderson/ but I don't know if it's > him. (I don't use Facebook myself.) > > -km >