He was born in Platte, South Dakota, to Edward Thomas and Edith (Orvis).
Anderson helped start the Comparative Education Center at the University of Chicago between 1958 and 1972.
Additionally, he played a key role as the chief editor of the American Journal of Sociology from 1967 to 1973.
[1] Anderson's background of growing up in a rural area had a significant impact on him and his research interests, according to the conversations between him and Phillip Foster who worked with him at the University of Chicago.
[2] Anderson showed sympathy towards the rural community and through his research he worked on things like policy change, in economics and education in underdeveloped areas.