He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on 13 January 1860 to Lewis Williams Anthony and Britannia Franklin Waterman.

Anthony graduated from Brown University in 1883 and Cobb Divinity School in 1885, which was then affiliated with Bates College.

[2] He donated land in Lewiston near Bates College to the Stanton Bird Club to create Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary.

[3] Anthony was also active in various Freewill Baptist institutions and served as President of the Board of Trustees of Storer College in West Virginia.

He travelled to Africa and Asia as Secretary for the Free Will Baptist Home Missions Council.