John A. Anderson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKansas's5th district | |
| In office March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | John Davis |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKansas's1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885 | |
| Preceded by | William A. Phillips |
| Succeeded by | Edmund N. Morrill |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1834-06-26)June 26, 1834 |
| Died | May 18, 1892(1892-05-18) (aged 57) Liverpool, England, UK |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Miami University |
John Alexander Anderson (June 26, 1834 – May 18, 1892) was an American politician and academic who served six terms as a U.S. representative forKansas from 1879 to 1891, and the second president ofKansas State University from 1873 to 1879.
Anderson was born inWashington County, Pennsylvania in 1834, and graduated fromMiami University inOxford, Ohio, in 1853. His father,William Caldwell Anderson, served as the fourth president of Miami University during this time, holding that position from 1849 to 1854. Future U.S. presidentBenjamin Harrison was his roommate for a time in college.
Following graduation, John Anderson entered thePresbyterian ministry and was ordained four years later. His first charge was located inSan Francisco, where he served until 1862 when he was appointed chaplain of the3rd California Volunteer Infantry.[1] In this capacity, he accompanied GeneralPatrick Edward Connor and the regiment on its expedition toSalt Lake City, Utah. Alexander resigned from this role in the spring of 1863, and he was subsequently appointed relief agent, United States Sanitary Commission, a post he held until 1867.[1]
In 1868, Anderson came to Kansas as pastor of the First Presbyterian church inJunction City. He soon became a vocal critic of the fact that Kansas State Agricultural College, theland-grant university in neighboringManhattan, Kansas, was focusing on providing a classicliberal arts education rather than a practical agricultural education. Partly as a result of his advocacy, the Kansas Board of Regents appointed Anderson the second president of Kansas State on September 1, 1873. Anderson's tenure was marked by pedagogical reform in which academic emphasis was subordinated to a more practical approach to applied agriculture.
Anderson was elected as aRepublican to theU.S. House of Representatives in 1878, but he continued to serve as head of Kansas State until September 1879, when he resigned. He was reelected to congress three times before failing to receive the Republican nomination in 1886. Anderson promptly switched from the Republican party to running as anIndependent Republican and won reelection anyway. In 1888, he was elected to his final term, again as a Republican.
After his congressional career ended, his former college roommate, President Benjamin Harrison, appointed Andersonconsul general toCairo, Egypt in 1891. However, Anderson grew ill in the execution of his duties and died inLiverpool, England in 1892 while in transit back to the United States.[1]
Anderson Hall, the administrative building on the campus of Kansas State University, is named in his honor. The building, which was under construction during his tenure at Kansas State, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
"Anderson, John A.".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 109.| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by District created | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKansas's 1st district 1879–1885 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKansas's 5th district 1885–1891 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | President of Kansas State University 1873–1879 | Succeeded by |
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