In memorial
James W. Anderson III, A.H.C., President, J. W. Anderson Co. (1928 - 2023)
James W. Anderson III was born in 1928 to George E. Anderson and Grace Helen Clarke in Mt. Vernon, NY. His family returned to West Palm Beach in ‘29, having previously moved to West Palm Beach in ’25. Jim attended local schools, and graduated from Palm Beach High School, Class of ’47. Jim’s early interests were photography, radio, and the circus. His first job, in broadcasting was turning on the transmitter, and taking daily signal readings for a local AM radio station. Jim had a great voice, was a natural performer, and quickly became ‘on-air talent’ for Palm Beach’s WWPG AM-1340 (Wonderful Winter Play Ground), Lake Worth’s WEAT AM-1490, and West Palm Beach’s WIRK AM-1290. He hosted popular music shows, spinning “the platter-matter” for listening audiences of the area.
Jim originated a Sunday morning broadcast, as “Uncle-Jim”, reading the ‘funny-papers’ helped by a cast of characters, which he created with his voice; “Bouregard Lee”, “Gran’Pa”, and “Chippy The Chipmunk”. He also created “Uncle-Jim’s” signature ‘sign-off’: “Beeeeeeeee Good”. Upon gaining sponsorship, the show became “Rich’s Ice Cream Sunday Club”. Sponsorship changed, then the show became “Dairy Queen Kid’s Club”, eventually making the transition from radio to television, appearing on WIRK’s UHF-25 TV. Occasionally, he performed live on-stage kids-shows, broadcasting remotely, at times from the Florida or Carefree Theatres. The show’s development began to feature ventriloquism, a-bit of ‘slight-of-hand’ and ‘stage magic’. Jim joined the I.B.M. (International Brotherhood of Magicians) later becoming a charter member of the Royal Palm Magicians Club of The Palm Beaches.
Earlier in his career, while broadcasting on location from a carnival in Phipps Park, Jim was introduced to his future bride. Marie was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol; Jim was smitten. Jim and Marie turned down an offer to be married on-air, live from the stage of the Carefree Theatre, and eventually were married at St. Ann’s Church in 1948.
The relatively small broadcasting market, and everchanging entertainment trends, presented Jim with challenges to meet the financial needs of his growing family. He did not wish to uproot his family from paradise to pursue better broadcasting career opportunities. The Palm Beaches were the Andersons’ home.
In 1954, Jim walked away from broadcasting and joined his father’s architectural-hardware company, George E. Anderson, Inc. Jim was quick to learn the trade, thus began his new career. He assumed sole sales-responsibilities upon his father’s sudden passing in 1956. James’ fearless personality and trade-skills, helped solidify connections with the Palm Beaches’ best architects, contractors, and interior decorators. His dedication to supply quality architectural hardware at a fair price assured his success.
The Andersons purchased his father’s company in 1964, changing the name to the J. W. Anderson Co. James hired, and was tutored by Adon Brownell, Distinguished Architectural Hardware Consultant in the finer aspects of the builder’s hardware industry. He was certified an Architectural Hardware Consultant (A.H.C.) by the American Society of Architectural Hardware Consultants in 1974, as his father had been, in 1944. Mr. Anderson was a member of the Door And Hardware Institute, the National Builders’ Hardware Association, and was recognized for “Outstanding Service on Behalf of The East Coast Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America Inc.”
Mr. Anderson supplied many developing South Florida projects including: Palm Beach Junior College, RCA, JFK, Good Samaritan, and St. Mary’s Hospitals, The Breakers Hotel Beach Club, The Bath and Tennis Club, The Palm Beach Country Club, numerous luxury beachfront condominiums from the Treasure Coast to the Gold Coast, from Cape Coral to Naples, as well as private luxury homes for many of Palm Beach’s most famous and infamous winter residents.
The J. W. Anderson Co. grew-up with the area, acquired downtown property, allowing the company greater space to expand the decorative and architectural hardware showroom; the family to pursue and achieve the “American Dream”; education, security, and reasonable comfort attained by the labor of one’s mind and hands, as guided by a loving father, an exemplary professional, a decent man.
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