James Anderson - Sergeant

Biography

Sergeant James Agnew Anderson was born March 29, 1914 at Oak Park, Illinois to Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Anderson. He was also related to Olive J. Reed.

James worked as an usher for the Southern Theater and graduated from Oak Park and River Forest Township High School. After he arrived at Iowa State, he worked as an elevator operator for the Memorial Union. Other interests included reading, tennis, bowling, and wrestling. He could read French and Spanish.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Science from Iowa State in 1939. James then worked for the Carnegie Steel Corporation before being inducted on June 8, 1942 into the Army Air Corps.

He trained at Camp Grant, Jefferson Barracks, Scott Field and finally at Camp Stoneman in California. The service shipped him to Australia on October 19, 1942, where he worked in cryptography. 

James died on April 24, 1943, having been killed in action somewhere in the South Pacific