James Keith Anderson
James Keith Anderson (1880-1950)
1950 Obituary [1]
"JAMES KEITH ANDERSON, who was born in Arbroath, Angus, in 1880, retained a connection with Dundee, the place of his education and apprenticeship, during the whole of his lifetime.
He was educated at Morgan Academy and Dundee High School and went on to serve his apprenticeship from 1895 to 1900 with Messrs. Urquhart Lindsay and Company, Dundee, engineers; following this came two years' experience as leading draughtsman to Messrs. Fraser and Chalmers, Ltd., Erith, followed two years later by an appointment as engineer to Messrs. Lake and Currie, London, mining engineers. Other posts he occupied included executive appointments with Messrs. Fraser and Fraser, London, and Messrs. Edgar Allen and Company, Ltd., Sheffield.
In 1907 he was appointed general manager of Messrs. Urquhart Lindsay and Company, Ltd., and Messrs. Robertson Orchar, Ltd., both of Dundee. These two companies were acquired by Messrs. Fairbairn Lawson Combe Barbour, Ltd., Leeds and Belfast, in 1921, and in 1930 he was appointed managing director of the combine, and in 1934 he was appointed chairman. This office he occupied until he retired in 1945.
During the 1939-45 war Mr. Anderson served for a period as regional representative, for Yorkshire, of the Ministry of Supply. He had an outstanding record in the service of the Engineering and Allied Employers National Federation and their Federated Associations, extending from 1908 to 1946, when he retired, including service on the executive board, general council, and management board. He was also president of Leeds and Dundee Federated Associations. In addition he was, from 1919 to 1922, president of the Dundee branch of the Foremen's Mutual Benefit Society, in which he took an active interest.
On his retirement he set up practice near his residence in Harrogate as a consulting engineer specializing in the textile industries and soon created an extensive overseas business. He maintained his close contact with jute, flax, and cotton spinning and weaving in an advisory capacity and made regular visits abroad, particularly to India, on the last of which his death occurred at Calcutta on 18th January 1950. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1904, and was transferred to Membership in 1910."