Anderson, John

John Anderson, MA (Glasgow), Challis Professor of Philosophy, University of Sydney (1927 - 1958) was born on 1 November 1893 at Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, Scotland, son of Alexander Anderson, a schoolmaster and his wife Elizabeth nee Brown. After attending Hamilton Academy, he matriculated at the University of Glasgow. John graduated M A from the University of Glasgow in November 1917 with First Class Honours in philosophy, mathematics and natural philosophy. He was also awarded the University Silver Medal for Moral Philosophy and the Logan Medal for the most distinguished Arts graduate in 1917. From 1917 to 1926 he was engaged in teaching at the University of Glasgow, University College, Cardiff and the University of Edinburgh.

John Anderson married Janet Currie Baillie, a fellow student at the Hamilton Academy and the University of Glasgow on the 30 June 1922. She was christened and always known as Janet by her own family, but John used the Scots pet form Jenny. Their only child Alexander (known as Sandy to friends and family) was born on the 14 November 1923 and died in August 1996.

John Anderson was appointed to the Challis Chair of Philosophy in 1927. The University Calendar for that year does not list any support staff in Philosophy. In 1929 an assistant lecturer Mr N C Porter was appointed to assist. John Passmore was the second member of the teaching staff, appointed in 1935.

Anderson was greatly influenced by Greek philosophy, as interpreted by the Scottish scholar John Burnet and by Hegel, however he came to reject the Absolute Idealism in which he had been trained. Of twentieth century philosophers, William James, G E Moore and Bertrand Russell, the American new "realists" and especially the Australian born Samuel Alexander laid the foundations of his thinking.

Anderson was involved with some public controversies during his tenure. In 1928 he and a number of other members of the University protested to the Federal Government over certain import bans on books of a political nature. In 1931 he was involved in a controversy over free speech, following an address he gave to the Freethought Society on 9 July 1931. At a special meeting of the Senate on 20 July 1931 he was censured. Another controversy was in 1943 over the teaching of Christianity in public schools.

John Anderson died on 6 July 1962.

ALEXANDER ANDERSON

Alexander John Anderson (known as Sandy) was born in Eskbank, Scotland on 14 November 1923.

Alexander attended Knox Grammar School in Sydney, completing the NSW Leaving Certificate in 1941. He entered the University of Sydney in March 1942, commencing study in the Faculty of Science. Having passed first year he withdrew in 1943. In 1946 he returned to study English and Philosophy, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts 16 May 1951 with First Class Honours in Philosophy and Third Class Honours in English.

He commenced as a lecturer in philosophy on 22 January 1954 at Newcastle University College, Tighes Hill. Alexander was employed by the University of Newcastle until his retirement on 31 December 1988.

He died in August 1996.

ALICE RUTH WALKER

Although not a member of the Anderson family, Alice Ruth Walker's close and long standing relationship with John Anderson is reflected in the papers. She was born on 6 March 1917 at Lismore, NSW and died on 17 December 1986. She commenced her University studies in 1934, won the G S Caird Scholarship for Philosophy in 1935 and graduated with a B A with First Class Honours and the University Medal in Philosophy in 1937. She was initially appointed to the staff of the University of Sydney as a part time "correcting assistant" in the Department of Philosophy on 1 April 1937. She became a part-time demonstrator/tutor on 1 January 1944 and a full time assistant lecturer on 1 January 1941; Lecturer on 1 January 1944 and a Senior Lecturer on 1 January 1954. She retired on 6 March 1971. From her days as a student, Walker had an interest in Marxism, an interest shared by Professor John Anderson. From the time she first attended the University to the day he died in 1962, Anderson appeared to have a profound influence upon Walker, reflected in the correspondence between them.

Walker died in 1986.

Biographical information taken from A Passion to Oppose by Brian Kennedy (1995) and the Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 7.