LeRoy Hagen Anderson (February 2, 1906 – September 25, 1991) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

Biography

Born in

Ellendale, North Dakota Ellendale is a city in Dickey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the capital city of Dickey County. The population was 1,125 at the 2020 census. Ellendale was founded in 1882. Ellendale is the home of Trinity Bible College, located on t ...

, Anderson, the grandson of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

immigrants, moved with his parents to

Conrad, Montana Conrad is a city in and the county seat of Pondera County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,318 at the 2020 census. Each June, the Whoop Up Days, a town wide celebration that includes a parade and rodeo, takes place in Conrad. The ...

, in 1909. He graduated with a B.S. degree from

Montana State College Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fiel ...

in 1927, and went on to do postgraduate work in mathematics and physical chemistry in 1935–1938 at

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

in Pasadena, California. He later worked as a wheat and cattle rancher. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

he served as commander of an armored task force in the European Theater of Operations in combat from Normandy to the Elbe River. He was separated from the service as a lieutenant colonel in 1945. For his service, he received the Silver Star and Croix de Guerre Medal with Palm. He served as a

Major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in Army Reserve, commanding the 96th Infantry Division Reserve from 1948 through 1962. He served as a member of the Montana House of Representatives in 1947 and 1948 and the

Montana State Senate The Montana Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators elected for four years. Composition of the Senate :''67th Legislature – 2021–20 ...

from 1949 through 1956, serving as Democratic floor leader 1954–1956. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1954 to the Eighty-fourth Congress. Anderson was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Eighty-fifth and Eighty-sixth Congresses (January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1961). He was not a candidate for renomination in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

but was unsuccessful for the Democratic nomination for

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

. He resumed engineering pursuits. He served as member of the Montana State senate from 1966 to 1970. He was a resident of

, until his death there on September 25, 1991.

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-18 {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Leroy Hagen 1906 births 1991 deaths American people of Norwegian descent Democratic Party members of the Montana House of Representatives Democratic Party Montana state senators Montana State University alumni California Institute of Technology alumni Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) United States Army generals People from Conrad, Montana People from Ellendale, North Dakota Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Montana 20th-century American politicians United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army reservists