While a student at Shortridge High School, he was a member of the wrestling team, and was inducted into the IHSWCA Hall of Fame in 1990.
Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, becoming the top federal law enforcement official for over half the state, serving in that post until 1981.
Following implementation of Ballard's proposal in February, 2008, Anderson's role as Sheriff was reduced to administration of the county jail, overseeing security for City-County government buildings, and administrative duties including tax collection and serving legal papers, with general law enforcement services for the County remaining under the jurisdiction of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department which resulted in Anderson becoming the only Sheriff in the state of Indiana without any territory to protect.
[5] Sheriff Anderson turned down a $50,000 per year raise when he came under public scrutiny after an Indianapolis Star article detailed his 2005 annual base pay as $102,000 in addition to $268,000 from a portion of fees collected from tax warrants, for total compensation of $370,000, nearly that of the President of the United States.
[10] Following his defeat in the 2010 Indiana State Senate election, he was retained as a paid consultant for his successor as Marion County Sheriff, John R.