Page:Men of Mark in America vol 1.djvu/179

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THOMAS HENRY ANDERSON

ANDERSON, THOMAS HENRY, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, has made his mark as a jurist, diplomat, and business man. He was born in Belmont county, Ohio, June 6, 1848. Descended from honorable ancestors, he is the son of John and Amelia Dallas Anderson. He was educated at the public and select schools of his county and at Mount Union college, Ohio. After leaving college he taught a short time in the schools of Belmont and Guernsey counties, and held the principalship of the Cambridge high school until the fall of 1870, when he resigned to finish his law studies. On entering the profession he promptly made a place for himself and was soon engaged in a lucrative practice in the state and federal courts. In April, 1893, he removed to Washington, District of Columbia, where his ability as a lawyer and his high character as a man won for him esteem and distinction. President McKinley appointed him United States attorney for the District of Columbia, October 4, 1899. On May 1, 1901, in recognition of his excellent record as district attorney. President McKinley appointed him a member of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, a life position, and he has proved himself an able and upright judge.

He served on the military staff of Governor Foster of Ohio for four years. He was at one time chairman of the Republican executive committees of his county and congressional district, a member of the Republican state executive committee, and a member of the city council and school board of Cambridge, Ohio.

In 1889, Judge Anderson was appointed by President Harrison as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to Bolivia, which position he filled with ability. He wrote "The Hand-Book of Bolivia," which gives interesting and authentic information concerning the state of that republic. He is an effective public speaker, and until appointed to the bench had been well known as a political speaker for twenty-five years. His knowledge of the free-silver countries of South America, and his power to per-