Death of Peder Andersen: A 'Fixture at the Score Table for 61 Years'

Students, teachers and staff at Livermore High School are mourning the loss of beloved basketball scorekeeper, Peder Andersen, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 91. 

For over 61 years, until the end of 2012, when Andersen was injured in a collision, the scorekeeper was an enduring fixture at the scorer's table at high school basketball games in Livermore.

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Superintendent Kelly Bowers says Andersen will be missed.

"Peder Anderson was a hallmark of Livermore High School, an integral part of its rich history and tradition of excellence. His commitment to the school and its basketball program was unmatched. Peder was a genuine historian and acute statistician, beloved by all who encountered him during his 60+ years of scorekeeping. He will be sorely missed. His legacy and memory are preserved permanently, as he was formally inducted into the Livermore Sports Hall of Fame by the Livermore/Granada Boosters in 2009."

[Related article: Scorekeeper Clocks 3, 500th Game At 89 Years Old]

Livermore High School Athletic Director James Petersdorf  told Patch, via email:

"Peder was a great man who was fixture at the score table for 61 years at Livermore High. It was a honor to be around him as a player, coach and athletic director. We are planning some stuff to honor Peder at LHS during this years basketball season. We made the change at the start of the season to change the name of our tournament we host from the Cowboy Roundup to the Peder Andersen Classic and luckily he was around long enough to get to see that."

Andersen first volunteered to keep score at a Livermore High School basketball game, over 61 years ago, when a scorekeeper did not show up. At the time, Harry S. Truman was president, the Cold War was looming and basketballs were brown, not orange. 60 years later, in Feb. of 2012, Andersen finished his 3,500th game as scorekeeper. The first annual Peder Andersen Classic was held in Dec. of 2013.

According to the Livermore-Granada Boosters website, Andersen was inducted into the Livermore Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

In 1964, the East Bay Athletic League (now known as EBAL) got its name thanks to Andersen. Andersen was a Danish immigrant and is an alumnus of Amador Valley High School's class of 1941. Pedersen is survived by Margaret Andersen, his wife of over 58 years.

Journalist Susan Schena contributed to this report.