John Anderson
John Anderson was a prominent national political figure and former longtime Illinois Congressman who ran for president as an independent in 1980. He served as Chair of the House Republican Conference for 10 years before stepping away from the leadership post and his House seat to run for president. After his political career, Anderson served as a visiting professor from coast to coast, appearing at Stanford University, Bryn Mawr College, Oregon State University, the University of Massachusetts, Nova Southeastern University and the law school at his alma mater, the University of Illinois. He wrote extensively and served on many boards including FairVote, a voting rights organization formerly known as the Center for Voting and Democracy. Anderson died in 2017. He was 95.
John Anderson Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Illinois Representative
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Faculty, School of Law
Academic History
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Master of Laws, LLM
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Juris Doctor
CAREER
Anderson was a World War II veteran and 10-term congressman. He first won his congressional seat in 1960 and served in Congress until 1980.
He was first elected to the House in 1960, beginning his career as a conservative, but gradually moderating his views.
He was an advisor to the US High Commissioner for Germany, an Illinois state's attorney and a political writer before his 1960 congressional bid.