Our Founder

Bill van Druten founded Lake Superior Freethinkers in 1997 to prevent the Roman Catholic Church from monopolizing Duluth hospitals. He raised objections to the Boy Scouts’ statement about its “duty to God” and eventually renounced his Eagle Scout status. He gained local infamy (and at least one death threat) in 2005 for getting a Ten Commandments monument removed from City Hall.

Social Director

Sue Anderson was married to a Weather Service worker at age 17. She raised four children and looked after their house at Sunset Lake until 2009 – twenty years after his death. Then she moved to downtown Duluth. Sue is a very active socialite seen at concerts and performances around town. She served the Lake Superior Freethinkers board and arranged and hosted our third Wednesday dinner socials for several years.

Chair

Tom Patten launched his first assisted living community in 1981, establishing communities in public (non-profit) and private sectors. In 2000, he developed Professional Assisted Living Software (PALs): the first software for assisted living settings. He holds a master’s degree in social work (MSW) from the University of Minnesota Duluth and has served our group in many capacities over several years.

Vice-Chair

David Cole moved to Duluth after teaching philosophy in Delaware and serving as a congressional aide working on railroad deregulation. His doctorate is from the University of California at San Diego. He chaired the philosophy department at UMD, co-edited the textbook Philosophy, Mind, and Cognitive Inquiry, and has written about everything from artificial intelligence to the ethics of “killing” zombies.

Treasurer

Charles Gessert, MD, MPH was a Senior Research Scientist in the Essentia Institute of Rural Health until retiring in 2013. He investigated end-of-life decision-making, the use of feeding tubes in advanced dementia, and understanding the normal lifespan. He is currently active in teaching, local community action, and advocacy for health care reform, along with taking care of our finances.

Secretary

Don Fraser attended both UMD and the State University of Minnesota at Moorhead studying Art, History, and Graphic Design. After serving in the 7th Fleet of the Navy, he spent decades as Senior Graphic Designer with Advanstar Communications. He is a freelance graphic artist who produces our popular newsletter and maintains our official records.

Webmaster

Jim Lyttle is a recovering academic who traveled across Canada with his own showband and designed lighting for Toronto theatrical productions until the 1990s. In 2021, he worked to have the phrase “Jesus, I Trust In You!” removed from a Duluth Transit Authority bus. He looks after the LSFreethinkers.org website, hosts Zoom meetings, and maintains email communication with more than 400 subscribers.