Earl Edward Anderson

General Earl Edward Anderson was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. He was previously a member of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame (1988) and was recognized as the CPASS Outstanding Alumnus in 1994.

A native of Morgantown, Anderson was born on June 24, 1919, and graduated from Morgantown High School. He enrolled at West Virginia University in the fall of 1936 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 1940. While at WVU, he was a top cadet officer in the ROTC program and served as captain of the varsity baseball team. He was also a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and Mountain Honorary.

He began his career in the United States Marine Corps in 1940 and served for 35 years. During that time, he was a combat veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In 1943, he was ordered to flight training at the Naval Air Station in Dallas, Texas, and was later awarded his gold wings as a naval aviator and promoted to major. He earned a Master of Arts degree from WVU in 1949 and later received a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School in 1954.

Anderson held numerous leadership positions throughout his career, including Director of Personnel at Marine Corps Headquarters; Chief of Staff of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam; Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development, and Studies; and the first Program Manager for the Marine Corps Tactical Data Systems. In 1969, he was promoted to lieutenant general and named Commanding General of the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic. In 1972, at age 53, he became the youngest active duty Marine to be promoted to the rank of four-star general and the 21st Marine to achieve that distinction. He retired in 1975.

In addition to his military service, Anderson remained actively involved with WVU. He served on the WVU Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1971 to 1978 and was named West Virginia’s Son of the Year in 1973. He and his wife, Jane, raised three children: Mark, David, and Susan.