Scholarch Emeritus
Erik founded the College of Stoic Philosophers in 2008. He was born in Walla Walla, Washington, USA, and lived most of his life on the Pacific Rim. Education in his formative years was in Protestant parochial schools in rural towns in Oregon and California. Higher education included Portland State University, where he received Bachelor’s Degrees in Arts & Letters and Social Science; the Oregon Military Academy, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, US Army Infantry; and the University of Oregon, where he received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture.
Erik has worked in a number of occupations, including laboratory analyst at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and for North American Aviation where he performed quality control studies on the escape rocket module of the Apollo Moon Rockets. He is a Vietnam Era War veteran and received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for participation in Operation White Coat, a biological warfare unit.
Other employment includes mortician’s assistant, insurance executive, baker, restaurant waiter, Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon, English teacher in Japan, display designer for Macy’s and Nordstroms, advertising copy writer, and Senior Probation Officer for the County of San Diego, California.
Erik has been a Stoic for more than 50 years. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife of more than 30 years. Erik retired from the College in 2021.