Sir John Anderson, builder and philosopher.
Born in Glasgow, John was the son of Peter Anderson, co-founder of the construction firm P & W Anderson. He joined the family business and became a director. P & W Anderson expanded rapidly in the years leading up to the First World War. The firm was involved in building a significant number of important buildings in Glasgow, including the Central Hotel, Central Station extension, Royal and West of Scotland Technical College, the Mitchell Library, Glasgow Corn Exchange and the Glasgow Herald Building.
John Anderson personally directed the firm's numerous Government contracts during the First World War including a £4 million munitions factory at Gretna. In 1917 a large part of the workforce, by now 15,000 men, was recruited to the Royal Engineers. Anderson was rewarded with a knighthood.
Anderson took over as chairman on the death of his father in 1922, but the earlier expansion could not be sustained and the firm went into liquidation in 1925. Anderson then took up writing and lecturing on the philosophy of thought.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 052 BAI
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
builders, Central Hotel, construction companies, contractors, First World War, Glasgow Central Station, Glasgow Corn Exchange, Glasgow Herald Building, Mitchell Library, munitions, P & W Anderson, philosophers
, Royal and West of Scotland Technical College, Royal Engineers
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