Born during the time of the Great Depression, Oklahoma native John V. Anderson’s unlikely story started in Choctaw, where he was raised in humble surroundings. His father allowed him to enlist in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and he went off to serve on the USS Siboney before returning to Oklahoma in 1946. Anderson joined Liberty National Bank through a training program for G.I.s, working his way up from messenger through the audit department and ultimately serving as senior vice president in charge of operations before leaving the bank in 1973.
John met his wife Jo while working at Liberty and they were married in 1950. In 1972, he purchased Farmers & Merchants Bank in Crescent, Oklahoma. Over more than four decades, the Anderson family successfully grew the bank to nine locations throughout the state, with his four children working in various capacities for the family-owned business.
In addition to raising a family and running a bank, the Andersons operate a cattle ranch in Crescent, where they have become fixtures in the community. In 2004, Mr. Anderson established the Anderson Family Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to better manage his family’s philanthropy. Through the fund, the family supports charitable causes in the Crescent and Piedmont communities.