Mary Anderson (business executive)

Mary Gertrude Anderson (née Gaiser; December 7, 1909 – March 27, 2017) was an American business executive, known for co-founding REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) in 1938 with her husband, Lloyd Anderson.

As avid mountaineers in Seattle, Washington, they saw a need for quality gear so created a consumer cooperative company that is one of the largest recreational equipment retailers. They were inducted into the Cooperative Business Association's Hall of Fame in 1993.

In honor of her 100th birthday in 2009, December 7 was "Mary Anderson Day" in Washington state and the city of Seattle.

Family life
Gaiser was born to John and Gertrude Gaiser in Yakima, Washington. In 1932, she married Lloyd Alva Anderson. She died at age 107 in 2017.