Sources give middle name as both Bernard or Bernerd. Born in Burleson, Johnson County, Texas. Graduated from Weatherford College of Southwestern University in 1927. Received LL.B. from the University of Texas in 1932. Admitted to the bar in 1932. Married to Ollie May Rawlings April 10, 1935. They had two sons. He was a member of the Masons.

Served as assistant attorney general of Texas in 1933 and state tax commissioner in 1934. In 1941 he became manager of the W. T. Waggoner estate. It covered 500,000 acres of Texas oil and ranch land. Served as Secretary of the Navy 1953 to 1954; Deputy Secretary of Defense 1954 to 1955; and Secretary of the Treasury under President Eisenhower from July 29, 1957, through January 20, 1961.

His signature appears on Silver Certificates, series of 1935-F, 1953-A, and 1957 and Federal Reserve Notes, series of 1950-B. He served on the board of several corporations and organizations. In 1955 he received the Medal of Freedom from Eisenhower.

He was a lobbyist for the Unification church of Reverend Sun Myung Moon. He was charged with federal income tax evasion, plead guilty, served a term in a federal prison, and was disbarred. He died in a New York City hospital.

Anderson appears on a mint medal (USM 218) as one of the series for Secretaries of the Treasury. Dies were by Frank Gasparro.

bio: BDEB; CBY 1953; Failor; IntWW 83; WWA 86; BNR 9/91 obit: NYT 8/16/89