William Harrison Anderson

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William Harrison Anderson
William-harrison-anderson.jpg
Personal details
BornJune 25, 1870
Mexico, Indiana, US
DiedJune 26, 1950(1950-06-26) (aged 80)
Claremont, North Carolina, US
NationalityAmerican
SpouseNora Haysmer (married 1895); Mary Perin (married 1914)
OccupationMissionary
EducationBattle Creek College

William Harrison "Harry" Anderson (June 25, 1870 – June 26, 1950) was an American missionary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[1] He arrived in Africa in 1895 and established the Solusi Mission near Bulawayo, Rhodesia. Anderson and the mission survived the Second Matabele War and malaria outbreak. In 1903 he established the Rusangu Mission in the north of Rhodesia, which now hosts schools and a university. Anderson later worked in the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Angola. From 1935 to his retirement in 1945 he was employed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Africa Division with responsibilities stretching from Cape Town to Lake Chad.

Early life[]

William Harrison Anderson was born on 25 June 1870, in Mexico, Indiana.[2][3] His parents were Elija and Neomi Pearson Anderson and he moved with them shortly afterwards to New Waverley, Indiana.[3][2] Anderson attended Battle Creek College at Battle Creek, Michigan and whilst there helped found the student foreign mission band.[1] He graduated in absentia, having agreed to join a Seventh-day Adventist Church mission to Africa.[1] Before leaving Anderson the United States married Nora Haysmer.[3][1]

Solusi Mission[]

Anderson arrived in Africa in 1895, with the aim of establishing the first Seventh-day Adventist mission on the continent.[3] Anderson proceeded through South Africa by rail to Mafeking and thence by a six-week ox wagon ride to Solusi near Bulawayo in the south part of Rhodesia.[1] He there founded the Solusi Mission.[3][1] The mission suffered early setbacks; the missionaries were forced to flee to Bulawayo for some months during the Second Matabele War of 1896–97 and many of the missionaries died of Malaria in 1898. A replacement party was also struck down by the disease and by 1901 Anderson and his wife were the only missionaries at the station.[1]

Rusangu Mission[]

In locating the new mission there was a combination of four things that I especially desired. First, of course, was proximity to the native. A person can accomplish very little in laboring for the people unless he is near them. Secondly, we wanted a good supply of water...we wanted water for irrigation, that we might raise fruit and garden produce. Thirdly we desired proximity to the railway line... so I followed the watershed, in the hope that we might be near the railway line when it was built through the country.... The fourth point we desired was to establish an industrial mission, where the natives might be taught to work, which is one of the principles of the gospel. We therefore wanted good soil.

William Harrison Anderson writing about the foundation of the Rusangu Mission[4]

In 1903 Anderson arrived in the northern portion of Rhodesia to establish a mission station there. He found suitable land near Monze and agreed to acquire it from the local tribal leader. The land had earlier been claimed by another priest but he had failed to mark the acquisition in accordance with the local custom. Anderson complied with this requirement by carving a message in a tree trunk at the site and soon had founded the Rusangu Mission and farmstead on 5 September 1905.[5]

Anderson arranged for supplies to be sent from the Solusi mission and within a month was teaching 40 students at Rusangu.[5] Anderson was ordained the same year.[3] The rival priest returned to Rusangu and attempted to lay claim to Anderson's land. The matter was referred to the district commissioner who awarded the land to Anderson, in compliance with the local custom. Anderson's rival was awarded another plot of land on the far side of the river which was developed into a school and hospital.[5] Anderson received a $1000 grant from the Adventists' general conference in 1914 to install a borehole at Rusangu. The site is now a grade school, high school and university catering for 4,000 students.[5] Anderson married again on May 10, 1914, to Mary Perin.[2]

Later career[]

Anderson moved to Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1919, an area he was familiar with from his journey to Solusi.[3][1] Later that year Anderson published On the Trail of Livingstone in the United States, which is said to generated interest in African missionary work amongst the American people.[1][3] In 1922 he moved to the Portuguese colony of Angola and established several missions there.[1] Anderson was employed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Africa Division from 1930 to 1945 during which time he had responsibility for establishing new missions, organising meetings and advising new missionaries.[1][3] His area of responsibility covered from Cape Town to Lake Chad.[2] In this role he celebrated the 50th anniversary of the start of mission work at Solusi by pulling a wagon to the site.[1]

Anderson retired to the United States in 1945 and settled at Claremont, North Carolina.[6] He died at his home there on June 26, 1950 from a heart attack after carrying out gardening work. He had a daughter, Clarence Hinely.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l "Anderson, William Harrison (A)". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Journal of African Christian Biography. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Obituary: William Harrison Anderson". Statesville Daily Record. 26 June 1950. p. 9.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Shavit, David (1989). The United States in Africa – A Historical Dictionary. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood press. p. 10. ISBN 0-313-25887-2.
  4. ^ Ragsdale, John P. (1986). Protestant mission education in Zambia, 1880–1954. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses. pp. 27–28. ISBN 0-941664-09-0.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d McChesney, Andrew. "Borehole Helps Change Zambia Forever". Seventh-day Adventist Church. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  6. ^ Shavit, David (1989). The United States in Africa – A Historical Dictionary. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood press. p. 11. ISBN 0-313-25887-2.
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