“It is hard to overstate the importance of the ideas of Phil Anderson to the science of SFI and complexity in general," said Santa Fe Institute President David Krakauer. "His 'More is Different' article from Science in 1972 was the most important and rigorous refutation of the foolishness of reductionism for complex systems yet published. Not only did Phil articulate why confusing parts for the whole was a problem, but in the process, he explained why different fields of inquiry – from genetics to economics – needed to exist. This was a supreme act of intellectual modesty and generosity."

A typewriter repair technician by trade from Michigan, Carl Elmer Anderson started the Anderson Typewriter Company in Pasadena in 1912 after falling in love with the City as a vacationer.