Collection is open for research.
Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives prior to August 2004. The accession number is retro-0069
Louis Francis (L.F.) Anderson was born in Illinois in 1861, the oldest of the six children of Maria Louisa (Phelps) and Alexander Jay (A.J.) Anderson. A.J. was involved in various instructing and teaching jobs, and in 1869, the family moved from Illinois to Oregon. A.J. Anderson was asked to serve as the president of the Territorial University at Seattle (now the University of Washington). L.F. Anderson completed his undergraduate coursework during his father's tenure. L.F. graduated in 1881, the year his father was asked to serve as the president of Whitman College. President A.J. Anderson opened Whitman College under a new academic charter in 1882 and L.F. Anderson followed him to Walla Walla and served as a teacher of Greek and Latin. After Louise Phelps Anderson, A.J.'s wife, died in 1889, A.J. resigned from the presidency in 1891. After his resignation, A.J. continued to take interest in the college, compiling scrapbooks and writing an historical essay for Whitman College Quarterly. He died in 1903. L.F. Anderson continued at Whitman and served as the temporary president after his father's resignation. He left Whitman in controversy over the new president, James Eaton. L.F. then pursued postgraduate work with Professor Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, a Greek scholar at Johns Hopkins University. In 1895-1896, L.F. Anderson returned to Whitman College, where he took a position as professor of Greek Language and Literature.
L.F. Anderson was very active at Whitman College, serving as the college's vice president during his tenure. He was one of the first trustees of Whitman College and helped develop the current system of the board of overseers. L.F. married Mabel Ida Baker Anderson on October 30, 1890. Mabel was the daughter of prominent pioneer and businessman Dorsey Syng Baker, who was the founder of the Baker Bank, as well as proprietor of many other industries in the Washington Territory. L.F. and Mabel were wealthy; they traveled extensively, gave generously towards philanthropy, and built the Anderson Mansion, now Whitman College's Baker Faculty Center. They had no children, though circa 1895, they adopted Pauline Lora (Anderson) Rudio (1889-?), the daughter of L.F. Anderson's brother, Alexander Jay Anderson , Jr. (1863-1892). In 1915, Mabel Baker Anderson died from food poisoning. She left L.F. as executor of the estate, which was valued at over $100,000.
L.F. Anderson later remarried Florence Mary Bennett Anderson in 1918. Florence was born in 1883 in Chateaugay, New York. She earned her Bachelor of Art degree from Vassar College in 1903 and Doctor of Philosophy from Columbia University 1912. She held a position at Hunter College until she married L.F. and moved to Walla Walla. L.F and Florence were both interested in classical and Greek studies and were very active in the Philological Association and the Archaeology Association. Florence was a prolific writer, publishing over five books and numerous articles. The couple traveled and continued to establish the Anderson estate in Walla Walla.
L.F. Anderson retired from teaching at Whitman College in 1946, after sixty-three years of service. In 1950, he died due to illness. Florence continued to write and study, publishing "Leaven for the Frontier", a biography of A.J. Anderson and the Anderson family, in 1953. The Anderson Mansion was sold to Whitman College in 1956 for $50,000. As part of the sales agreement, Florence continued to live in the residence rent-free until her death on December 10, 1968.
Researchers interested in the Anderson Mansion (later the Baker Faculty Center) should also see the Anderson Mansion Collection for Whitman College's records relating to the same building.
This collection contains writings, publications, photographs, and documents concerning the Anderson family. Documents primarily concern Louis Francis Anderson, professor and vice-president at Whitman College; his father, founding president of the college, Alexander Jay Anderson; L.F Anderson's first wife, Mabel Baker Anderson; and his second wife, author Florence Bennett Anderson. Included are extensive financial documents that provide an in-depth look at the Andersons' entertaining and philanthropy. Both L.F. and his second wife Florence were interested in Greek and Classic literature, and many of their writings are scholarly work which reflects the academic approach to Greek and Classical study of the period. There are glass plate negatives of the Greater Whitman plan in this collection. This collection highlights the daily life, financial investments, and academic study of an historic family in the Walla Walla valley. The Whitman College presidential papers for A.J. and L.F. Anderson are not included here.
Included here are also a small collection of the notes of L.F. Anderson's siblings Charles McKay Anderson (1858-1983), George Page Anderson (1865-1932), Helen Hood Anderson McCandless (1871-1919), and Oliver Phelps Anderson (1859-1941). There are no personal materials here for L.F. Anderson's brother Alexander Jay Anderson, Jr. (1863-1892), though there are references to him.
Some published works by Louis Francis Anderson, Florence Bennett Anderson, and Ada Woodruff Anderson have been relocated to Whitman College Special Collections and may be found by searching the Penrose Library catalog.
This series contains correspondence, essays, and compositions written by L.F. Anderson. It also contains documents concerning his marriage, graduation, teaching, travel, finances, involvement with Whitman College, and his death. Though the documents contained in Series 1 primarily concern L.F. Anderson, there are several instances where the information also concerns other members of the Anderson family. Information can also be found regarding L.F. Anderson in other series, specifically the series of his two wives, Mabel Baker Anderson (Series 3) and Florence Bennett Anderson (Series 4).
Anderson family correspondence is separated out by author and arranged by date. L.F. Anderson's general communication is sorted into incoming and outgoing and arranged chronologically.
This series contains L.F. Anderson's manuscripts. L.F. Anderson was a widely known orator and often read his papers and speeches publicly. Published and unpublished materials are included.
This sub-series includes notebooks, diaries, and travel diaries containing detailed accounts of accommodations and sights. The Andersons traveled widely, to locations such as Washington State's Mount Rainier, Memphis, Cairo, and Florence, Italy. Diaries included in this series are an assortment of notes, jottings, financial records, and miscellaneous data. Most notebooks are marked with a rough date span. Florence's diaries of some of the same trips can be found in Series 4, Sub-Series 2.
L.F. Anderson served as a professor of Greek and Latin for over fifty years. This series contains various materials associated with his tenure at Whitman College. Correspondence and articles are included, as are records of anniversary celebrations. This series also contains teaching materials, including examination questions and lecture outlines.
The Andersons were widely known for their hospitality; they often opened their home for social functions. This series contains records from society memberships and functions.
This series contains records and information concerning finances, business undertakings, and philanthropy. L.F. Anderson saved a large number of receipts and check stubs; this series contains both loose and bound receipts. Also included is correspondence concerning the family business, Anderson Supply Company, investments, and purchases.
Photograph reproductions of Mt. Rainier and surrounding areas in the early 1900s. Some of the photographs were taken by Edward S. Cutrtis and LaRoche Studios.
This series contains correspondence and records from A.J. Anderson's tenure as president of University of Washington and Whitman College. Of interest are A.J.'s scrapbooks concerning the founding of Whitman College. Also included are A.J. Anderson's financial records and information about the two colleges.
Mabel Ida Baker married L.F. Anderson in 1890. This series contains their correspondence and financial records. Also included are obituary notices, letters from her funeral and a memorial service and a diary entry regarding Mabel's death written by L.F. Anderson.
Florence graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College in 1903. In 1912, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Classics from Columbia University. Before marrying Louis and moving to Walla Walla in 1918, she held an associate professor position in the department of Greek and Latin at Hunter College, New York. After her marriage, Florence continued to pursue scholarly work, taking a keen interest in Classical literature, local and family history, and religion. Florence was a prolific writer, publishing over five books. Included in this series is her correspondence, her published and unpublished writings, and the material she used in writing a history of her father-in-law, Alexander Jay Anderson. Materials concerning other Anderson family members are also included in the series. Interestingly, L.F. Anderson's membership to the Nantucket Historical Society is included. Speculatively, funding from L.F. Anderson contributed to her research for "A Grandfather for Benjamin Franklin".
This series contains published and unpublished materials written by Florence Bennett Anderson. Several manuscripts are included.
Florence Bennett Anderson collected biographical information about Alexander Jay Anderson and his descendants for her book "Leaven for the Frontier". This sub-series contains research materials, notes, and photographs used in compiling the book, including large amounts of genealogical information about the Anderson family and letters and papers from A.J. Anderson. This sub-series is of particular interest because original organization is maintained. Included are envelopes which were labeled by Florence Bennett Anderson. When possible, the folder names correspond to the envelope labels. Materials that were not found in labeled envelopes are titled with item description.
This series contains letters, clippings, and genealogical information from the Anderson family.
This series contains documents and records concerning the building and maintenance of the Anderson Mansion, which was sold to Whitman College in 1956 and became the Baker Faculty Center in 1977.
This series contains correspondence, articles, and ephemera collected by the Anderson family.
This series contains photographs from the Anderson Estate. Photos are of the Anderson family, friends, and the Anderson house and gardens. Photographs from L.F. Anderson's travels may be found in Series 9.
This series contains photographic albums from the Anderson Estate. Most albums belonged to L.F. Anderson, but several are unmarked. Albums contain photographs of family, friends, travels, and landscapes.