Charles William Anderson

{{Short description|American politician (1866–1938)}}

File:Charles W Anderson.jpg

Charles William Anderson (April 28, 1866 – January 28, 1938) was a Republican Party political organizer who served as Collector of Revenue in New York City.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/anderson-charles-williams-1866-1938/|title=Charles William Anderson (1866-1938) •|date=November 14, 2011}} {{cite news |date=March 5, 1905 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1905/03/05/archives/president-will-name-negro-for-office-here-charles-w-anderson-to-be.html |title=President Will Name Negro For Office Here; Charles W. Anderson to be Collector of Internal Revenue |work=The New York Times |page=7}}{{Cite web|url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-f2d7-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99|title=Hon. W. T. Vernon, Register of the United States Treasury; Hon. Henry W. Furniss, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Haiti; Hon. Charles W. Anderson, Collector of Internal Revenue, New York City; Hon. Robert Smalls, Collector of Customs, Beaufort, S. C.|website=NYPL Digital Collections}} He was appointed by U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt who dined with Booker T. Washington at the White House weeks into his presidency and noted his intention to make a prominent appointment of an African American to an office in his home state.{{cite web | url=https://www.raabcollection.com/presidential-autographs/roosevelt-african-american | title=Theodore Roosevelt Typed Letter African American | Raab Collection }}

He was born in Oxford, Ohio. He became a Republican Party political organizer in New York City.{{Cite web|url=https://wap.org.ng/read/charles-william-anderson-1866-1938/|title=CHARLES WILLIAM ANDERSON 1866-1938 - We Africa Preview|website=CHARLES WILLIAM ANDERSON 1866-1938 - We Africa Preview}}

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him in 1905 to the Revenue position in New York City succeeding Charles H. Treat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o191211|title=TR Center - Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Collier Platt|website=www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org}} U.S. President Woodrow Wilson removed him and other African Americans from their posts. Warren G. Harding appointed him to another Revenue post.

In January 1908, Roosevelt wrote him a note thanking him for a favorable speech he gave.{{cite web | url=https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record/ImageViewer?libID=o201429 | title=TR Center - ImageViewer }}

He married Emma Lee Bonaparte.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWTXAAAAMAAJ&dq=charles.william.anderson+revenue&pg=PA7|title=Who's who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent ; Vol. 1|first=Frank Lincoln|last=Mather|date=November 14, 1915|via=Google Books}} He held various roles in official ceremonies and was a member of several cultural institutions.

He dies January 28, 1938 at his home in Harlem in New York from pneumonia.{{cite news |title=Obituary for Charles W. Anderson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113667637/obituary-for-charles-w-anderson/ |access-date=26 November 2022 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=29 January 1938 |pages=12}}{{Open access}}{{cite news |title=Obituary for CHARLES W. ANDERSON |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113667553/obituary-for-charles-w-anderson/ |access-date=26 November 2022 |work=Daily News |date=31 January 1938 |pages=127}}{{Open access}}