David W. "Famous Dave" Anderson, best known as the founder of the Famous Dave's and Old Southern BBQ Smokehouse restaurant chains, is a former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs in the George W. Bush administration.[1] As Assistant Secretary, he had jurisdiction over the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Indian Education Programs (now the Bureau of Indian Education).
David W. Anderson | |
|---|---|
| 9th Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs | |
| In office 2004–2005 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Neal McCaleb |
| Succeeded by | Carl J. Artman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | American Gichigamiwininiwag |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Edina, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Restaurateur, businessman, founder of Famous Dave's restaurants |
Anderson is a citizen of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and a descendant of the Choctaw Nation, and lives in Edina, Minnesota. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up there as well as on reservations in Wisconsin. Famous Dave Anderson now travels the country speaking and is the author of several award-winning books.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Philanthropy
In 2001, Anderson and his family founded The LifeSkills Center for Leadership, a 501(c)(3) which provided leadership experiences to at-risk and underprivileged Native American youths.[citation needed]
Personal life
Dave Anderson lives in Edina, Minnesota with his wife, Kathy. He has two kids, James (married to Colleen, née Bubb) and Tim, both residing in Minneapolis. His family still owns and enjoys property in Hayward, Wisconsin, beside the LCO Reservation. [citation needed]