Thomas Dunaway Anderson is the nephew of Monroe Dunaway Anderson, a philanthropist whose foundation helped fund numerous institutions in the Houston area including the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Born in Oklahoma City, March 6, 1912 to Frank Ervin Anderson and Burdine Clayton Anderson, Thomas D. Anderson moved to the Houston area in 1928 where he attended Rice University. He completed his degree at Washington and Lee University and then returned to Houston to practice law at the Andrews and Kurth law firm. He dedicated 63 years to practicing law and retired in 1993. He passed away at his home in Houston at the age of 95 in 2007.
During his lifetime, Thomas D. Anderson was a very active supporter of both civic and charitable institutions. Some of his many accomplishments include serving as chairman of the Kelsey-Seybold Foundation for 29 years. He also served as president of the Protestant Episcopal Church council of the Diocese of Texas and was a board member of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. In 1962 he became a lifetime member of the MD Anderson Board of Visitors, and chaired the board from 1965 to 1974. Both he and his wife, Helen Sharp Anderson, were awarded the Ima Hogg Historic Achievement Award in 1997. In 1998, Anderson became the first recipient of the Leon Jaworski Award in honor of his commitment to community service.
From the guide to the Thomas Dunaway Anderson Oral History Interview 1 Anderson_Thomas_20000504., May 4, 2000, (Historical Resources Center, Research Medical Library, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center)
