It has been given Mr. Anderson to gain distinctive prestige as one of the representative members of the bar of his native state, and this fact is amply demonstrated by the official preferment that is his at he present time, that of attorney general for the Tenth circuit, Nashville district, of the state. He is a scion of a sterling family that was founded in Tennessee in the pioneer days, and bears a name that has been worthily concerned with the civic and industrial development and progress of this favored commonwealth. His paternal grandfather, William Anderson, was a representative of an old and honored colonial family of North Carolina, in which state he was born and reared, and upon coming to Tennessee he became one of the prominent agriculturists and influential citizens of Sumner county, where he continued to reside until his death.     

               Arthur Blythe Anderson was born on the homestead farm of his father, in Marshall county, Tennessee, and the date of his nativity was September 29, 1869. He is a son of Thomas H. and Elizabeth (Langston) Anderson, the former of whom was born in Sumner county, this state, and the latter at Springfield, Missouri. Thomas H. Anderson was a man of high intellectual and professional attainments and was long numbered among the leading members of the bar of his native state, besides which he was the owner of a valuable landed estate and gave his attention to agricultural pursuits in connection with the work of his profession. He was one of the gallant band of argonauts who made their way to California in 1849, shortly after the memorable discovery of gold in that state, and there he remained until 1867, in which year he returned to Tennessee, in company with his family, his marriage having been solemnized in the state of Missouri, where his wife was born and reared, as already intimated in this context. Upon his return to Tennessee he settled in Marshall county, and later he engaged in the practice of his profession at Lebanon, the judicial center of Wilson county, where he remained until 1877, when he removed with his family to Nashville, where he continued in the successful practice of law until virtually the time of his death, which occurred in 1884, his cherished and devoted wife having been summoned to eternal rest in 1877, at Lebanon, and both having been zealous members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Thomas H. Anderson was a stanch Democrat in his political adherency and was an active and effective advocate of the principles of the party with which he was long identified. He was a resident of California at the time of the Civil war and his sympathies were fully enlisted in the cause of the Confederacy.     

               Arthur B. Anderson was a lad of eight years at the time of the family removal to Nashville, where he was afforded the advantages of the public schools and later continued his studies in Peabody College, from which he received the degree of Licentiate Instructor, in 1890. He was dependent upon his own resources in completing his collegiate and professional education, and the funds for this laudable purpose were gained largely through his work as manager of a lecture bureau and by the selling of Bibles during his vacations and other leisure hours. He finally entered the University of Nashville, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1892 and from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science. In the meanwhile he had formulated definite plans for his future career and in preparation for the work of the profession in which he has attained to distinctive precedence he was matriculated in the law department of Cumberland University, at Lebanon, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1896 and from which he received his degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was forthwith admitted to the bar of his native state, and he has been a most active and successful practitioner in the various federal and state courts of Tennessee. He has made the capital city the stage of his professional activities since March, 1898, has shown the deepest appreciation of the dignity and responsibility of his chosen calling and has exemplified its highest ethical code, as well as fine ability both as a trial lawyer and as a counselor admirably fortified in knowledge of the science of jurisprudence.     

               Since his early manhood Mr. Anderson has been a zealous and effective worker in the ranks of the Democratic party. In 1901 he was elected a member of the city council of Nashville, as representative of the Thirteenth ward, and in 1903 he was re-elected, so that he served four consecutive years, during which he gave evidence of his holding of high civic ideals and of his earnest desire to promote conservative and effective administration of the municipal government. He was chairman of the finance committee, the most important of the city council, and he has the distinction of being the author of and introducing the bill which was enacted as the Peabody College endowment-bonds law and which gave to the institution mentioned its heavy endowment fund.

               Mr. Anderson has served for many years as a director of the Carnegie Library in Nashville, and was secretary of the finance committee, which had the supervision of the erection of the present fine library building! In 1910 he was elected to his present important office, that of attorney general for the Tenth judicial circuit of the state, and his administration has been most punctilious and effective, as he has brought to bear invincible integrity of purpose, broad and accurate knowledge of the law, strong dialectic powers and wide and varied professional experience.     

               Mr. Anderson is an appreciative member of the Knights of Pythias and is past chancellor commander of Joel A. Battle Lodge of this fraternity, in Nashville. He was formerly identified with the Cumberland Presbyterian church, but both he and his wife now hold membership in the Presbyterian church, South.      On the 14th of February, 1906. was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Anderson to Miss Lillian Hardin Gary, who was born and reared in Kentucky and who is a representative of old and honored families of that state. Mrs. Anderson is a woman of gracious personality and is a popular figure in the representative social activities of the capital city of Tennessee.   

A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans: the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities by Will T. Hale
Chicago: 
Lewis Pub. Co.,  1913  

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:Joy Fisher sdgenweb [at] gmail [dot] com October 26, 2005,