William Anderson was a U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 political scientist, who served on national commissions in the 1940s and 1950s.

He received an A.B. degree from the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 in 1913, and an A.M. and Ph.D. from Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 in 1914 and 1917. He was an instructor of government at Harvard until 1916, and then on the faculty of the University of Minnesota from 1916 to 1957, serving as professor and chairman of the political science department.

He served as a member of the Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch of Government in 1947-48, and on the Commission on Intergovernmental Relations

Commission on Intergovernmental Relations

The Commission on Intergovernmental Relations was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 10, 1953, to make recommendations for the solution of problems involving federal and state governments...

in 1953-55.

He wrote at least twelve books on political science topics.