John Edward Anderson

Infobox Person
name = John Edward Anderson


image_size = 220px
caption = Photo courtesy of Topa Equities, Ltd.
birth_date = September, 1917
birth_place = Minneapolis, MN, U.S.
death_date = | (blank)
death_place = | (blank)
occupation = Business
spouse = Margaret (1942-1965)
Marion (1967-Present)
parents =
children = Susan
Judith
John, Jr.
William
Debbie

John Edward Anderson (born September, 1917) is the president and sole shareholder of Topa Equities, Ltd. Anderson currently oversees more than 40 wholly-owned subsidiaries in diverse industries such as agriculture, automotive dealerships, insurance, real estate and wholesale beverage distribution. In 2006, he was ranked #189 in "Forbes Magazine" 's list of the 400 richest Americans, with a net worth of $1.9 billion.cite web|title=The 400 Richest Americans #189 John Edward Anderson|publisher="Forbes Magazine"|date=2006-09-21|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/54/biz_06rich400_John-Edward-Anderson_01A7.html|accessdate=2007-03-19]

Early years

Anderson was born in September, 1917 in Minneapolis, Minnesota He was the son of a barber.Citation|last=Darmiento|first=Laurence|title=Secrets of his success: long hours, old-school ethics have earned John Anderson respect.|newspaper=Los Angeles Business Journal|pages=|year=2004|date=2004-03-22|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-115041997.html|accessdate=2007-03-19] Anderson was the valedictorian of his high school class. Anderson also earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America in 1931. [cite web|url=http://members.cox.net/scouting179/Eagle%20Distinguished.htm|title=Distinguished Eagle Scouts|accessdate=2007-03-19] [cite web|url=http://www.bsa14.org/FactSheetSupport/02-529.html|title=Distinguished Eagle Scout Award|accessdate=2007-03-19] He attended UCLA from 1936 to 1940, playing on the ice hockey team, [cite web|url=http://www.uclahockey.org/history.php|title=UCLA Hockey History|accessdate=2007-03-19] and graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree in business administration.cite web|url=http://www.mellon.com/pressreleases/2004/pr100704b.html|title=John E. Anderson Elected to Mellon 1st Business Bank Board of Directors|accessdate=2007-03-19] While at UCLA, he was a member of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi.Citation|last=Zwahlen|first=Cyndia|title=Smile of steel: John Anderson bites off a far-flung empire.|newspaper=Los Angeles Business Journal|pages=|year=1987|date=1987-11-09|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-6243599.html|accessdate=2007-03-19] He then attended Harvard Business School on scholarship, graduating with a MBA after World War II had broken out. While at Harvard, he was a George Fisher Baker Scholar.cite web |url=http://alumni.anderson.ucla.edu/class/bioitem.aspx?p=anderson |title=2002 John E. Anderson Distinguished Alumnus Award winner |accessdate=2007-03-19] Anderson entered the military on the staff of an admiral, never saw combat, and passed his CPA exam while in the Navy. Anderson continued his education after the war, earning his JD from Loyola Law School in 1950.cite web|url=http://alumni.lls.edu/lawyer/fall2002/corpprofiles.html|title=Loyola Law School Corporate Excellence|accessdate=2007-03-19] He graduated first in his class at Loyola, and was offered a full-time teaching position. For the next 25 years, Anderson taught at the law school in mornings and evenings while he worked at his law firm.

Family life

In 1942, Anderson married his UCLA sweetheart, Margaret, and they had five children. Margaret died of cancer in 1965, and he married his current wife Marion in 1967. His daughter Debbie died tragically at the age of seventeen in a car accident in 1969. Anderson's sons John, Jr. and William are executive vice presidents in Topa Equities, Ltd., and his daughter Judith manages the agricultural ranch in Ojai, California. He currently resides in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California. Anderson has 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Although Anderson could afford it, he does not purchase extravagant symbols of wealth like a private jet or yacht, but continues to go to work by 8 a.m. six days a week. He encourages his children to give to charity, and his wife and daughter Judy run the Marion & John E. Anderson Foundation charity.

Business life

Anderson was the founding partner of Kindel & Anderson law firm in 1953. On April 1, 1956, Anderson founded Ace Beverage Co. with exclusive rights to distribute Budweiser in Los Angeles, California. In 1980, he founded Topa Properties, Ltd., which owns a sizeable amount of property in the US Virgin Islands. [cite web|url=http://www.topavi.com/about/about.htm|title=Topa Properties, Ltd. About Us|accessdate=2007-03-19] His portfolio now includes convert|4000000|sqft|m2 of commercial property and 4,500 residential units. He is a past chairman of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, a trustee and former president of Saint John's Hospital and Health Center Foundation and trustee of Claremont McKenna College. He is on the board of directors of Mellon 1st Business Bank. Anderson is on the Board of Visitors at the Anderson School of Management, which is named after him. [cite web|url=http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x1219.xml|title=Senior Leadership at UCLA Anderson|accessdate=2007-03-19] Anderson has also taught several business courses at UCLA.

Awards

*1985 — Distinguished Service Award, Loyola Law School
*1987 — UCLA Graduate School of Management was renamed the John E. Anderson School of Management after he donated $15 million [cite web|url=http://www.ucla.edu/about/buildings/management.html|title=UCLA Campus Names - Management|accessdate=2007-03-19]
*1987 — Southern California Entrepreneur of the Year
*1988 — Outstanding Individual Philanthropist on National Philanthropy Day
*1995 — UCLA Alumnus of the Year
*1995 — UCLA Medal
*2002 — Master Entrepreneur of the Year
*2002 — John E. Anderson Distinguished Alumnus Award, UCLA John E. Anderson School of Management
*2003 — Business Person of the year, Business Hall of Fame
*2004 — Humanitarian Award, National Conference for Community and Justice
*Unk — Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

External links

* [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/54/biz_06rich400_John-Edward-Anderson_01A7.html Forbes Magazine, 2006]
* [http://www.topa.com/ Topa Equities, Ltd.]
* [http://www.topavi.com/ Topa Properties, Ltd.]
* [http://www.acebev.com/ Ace Beverage Co.]

References

Notes

ources

*Citation|last=King|first=Danny|title=Anderson upping Westwood stake.|newspaper=Los Angeles Business Journal|pages=|year=2002|date=2002-11-04|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-94270516.html|accessdate=2007-03-19