John Anderson Jr. (May 8, 1917 – September 15, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Kansas, from 1961 until 1965.

He did not qualify for military service during World War II for physical reasons.

Beginning in 1952, Anderson sought to elevate his political career by running for a seat in the Kansas State Senate.

By 1960, Anderson was ready for bigger ambitions and entered the race for the office of governor in the election of that year.

He defeated the Democratic incumbent, George Docking, 511,534 to 402,261 (the Prohibition candidate received 8,727).

Anderson became the first governor of Kansas to occupy Cedar Crest which had just been renovated at a cost of one hundred thousand dollars.

The poor, the rich, the humble, the proud, the strong, the weak, the fortunate and the unfortunate must be the beneficiaries in the years to come of a government progressively administered in the interests of all the people.” [5] In 1964, Anderson chose not to seek re-election, but instead, went back to his law practice in Olathe.

"[8] He remained active in public service after leaving the governor's office, serving as an attorney for the Board of Healing Arts and the Kansas Turnpike Authority.