Redkey honors former principal

If there’s one thing Bob Anderson has kept with him throughout his life, it’s respect.

Anderson, the former principal of Redkey High School, first principal of Redkey Elementary School and former dean of students at Jay County High School, was honored Friday by friends, family and current Redkey Elementary students. 

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised during the Great Depression, Anderson said in his address Friday that his childhood and adolescence taught him that everyone is equal, regardless of income or family reputation. 

He kept that concept with him, and when he became principal of Redkey High School in 1960, he quickly became known for earning the respect of his students for his fair, but disciplined, style of leadership.

Jane Switzer, a former teacher under Anderson’s leadership, recalled his honest and frank evaluations.

“He was fair, and that was one of the most honest evaluations I ever had,” Switzer said. “He stood by my door one day and told me, ‘Jane, you don’t demand respect. You earn respect.’”

As dean of students at Jay County High School, Anderson was responsible for enforcing attendance and meting out punishments for students. Steve Ford, a retired teacher and one of Anderson’s former students, said Anderson’s toughness didn’t sour his relationship with his students.

“He could board a kid, send a kid back out to the commons, and the kid would come by later and say, ‘Hi Mr. Anderson,’” Ford said. 

For Anderson, consistency in enforcing rules was an important factor in administering discipline fairly.

“If you have a rule, you enforce it,” Anderson said.

Since his retirement in 1990, Anderson still comes to visit Redkey Elementary every Friday.

“I used to be Mr. Anderson. Now I’m just Bob,” Anderson said. “I love standing in the hallway and hear the kids go by and say ‘Hi Bob! Hi Bob! Hi Bob!’”

John Ferguson, a former Jay Schools teacher, said Anderson was able to take a seemingly negative job as dean of students and keep it positive.

“As negative as that office can be, there’s really nothing negative about Bob Anderson,” Ferguson said. “He loved kids. I don’t think Bob thought there was a bad kid.”

Anderson’s consistent attitude of fairness and respect has meant that many of his former students thank him for setting them straight in the past.

At Friday’s convocation, Redkey principal Jan McGalliard asked if any of Anderson’s former students were in the audience. More than 30 hands raised in the air from those who had come to celebrate his achievements. 

“All kids are important, and if you treat kids fairly they’ll give you respect,” Anderson said. “I’ve really had a good life. I love it here in the county … And I had a lot of good kids in this county.”