Robert B Anderson

Robert B. (Bob) Anderson, who worked as a journalist, public relations practitioner, and educator in northeastern Louisiana for more than 45 years, died April 28, 2019 at the age of 85.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM Thursday, May 2, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church in Monroe, LA with Rev. Lynn Malone and Rev. J Roddy Taylor officiating. Interment will follow in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe, LA under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 12:30 PM until 2:00 PM Thursday, May 2, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church in Monroe.

Mr. Anderson was born in Sebastopol, MS on November 21, 1933 to R. A. and Elizabeth Black Anderson. He lived in several north Mississippi towns, graduated from Calhoun City High School and attended Holmes Community College in Goodman, MS, before earning a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism at LSU.

He served two years in the Army and after basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC, was assigned to Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, as an English teacher for Puerto Rican recruits. After his discharge, he came to Monroe in 1957 and worked at the Monroe Morning World as a Sportswriter and then Sports Editor. He returned to LSU to work on his graduate degree and as a reporter for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate before returning to Monroe in 1961 to serve as Sports Information Director and Assistant Professor of Journalism at what was then Northeast Louisiana State College, now the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He worked at ULM for 33 years and his media guides and releases won nine state and regional first place awards and one national first place and one second place. He held other positions at ULM at various times, including director of the news bureau, advisor to the university newspaper and yearbook, director of the letterman’s club and assistant athletics director.

At the time he retired from ULM in 1994, he had served as SID longer than anyone at any university in the state and also longer than any other member of the ULM athletic staff. Two years later, he became an aide to Congressman John Cooksey and served for almost six years, including four years as press secretary.

In retirement, he wrote and marketed “Indian Territory”, a history of the ULM sports program. He later returned to the university as a full-time member of the sports information staff for nine months and then as a volunteer editor of the L Club newsletter.

Anderson was inducted into the ULM Hall of Fame in 1999 and was the first SID to be selected to the Southland Conference Hall of Fame in 2002. He was chosen Mr. Louisiana Basketball by the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches in 1997, again the first SID to be so honored. His most recent award from ULM came in 2013 when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the university’s Alumni Association. He was a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA). He was honored by the LSWA in 1992 as recipient of the Mac Russo Award in 1992 for contributions to the progress and ideals of the organization and in 1994 as winner of its Distinguished Service Award.

Active in civic clubs and his church, Anderson served as vice president of the Monroe Downtown Optimist Club and later as president of the Bayou DeSiard Optimist Club, winning the Optimist of the Year Award from that club and Distinguished President Award from Optimist International. He served as a member of the official board and Sunday School teacher at Memorial United Methodist Church and later was a board member, Mission Committee chairman, member of Methodist Menders and Sunday School teacher at First United Methodist Church of Monroe, LA.

In retirement, his love of sports only seemed to grow as his grandchildren began to participate in athletics. He was a constant fixture at their sporting events and an avid listener to their activities when distance prevented his attendance. It’s not surprising to know that he wrote sports stories after every one of their games, sending many to the local newspaper, always trying to beat the deadline.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Nike Poulos Anderson; sons, Nick and wife, Cheree of Monroe, LA and Tom and wife, Natsuki of Huntington, WV; grandson, Andrew and James Anderson of Monroe, and granddaughters, Kaili and Kina Anderson of Huntington; brother, Jim Anderson and wife, Meg of Hernando, MS; and several cousins and nieces.
Pallbearers will be Mike Vining, Buddy Embanato, Ron LeLeaux, Don Wheeler, Doug Ireland, Keith Rogers, Nick Poulos, and Frank Poulos. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Friendship Class at First United Methodist Church Monroe.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Monroe or the ULM Athletic Scholarship Fund.

The family would like to give special thanks to Savannah Grand Cottage and St. Joseph Hospice for the care they gave our family.

Online Registry/Condolences: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com