Frank J. Anderson
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Frank J. Anderson | |
|---|---|
| Sheriff of Marion County, Indiana | |
| In office 2003–2011 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Cottey[1] |
| Succeeded by | John R. Layton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1938 |
| Died | April 30, 2022 (aged 83–84) |
Frank J. Anderson (1938 – April 30, 2022) was an American politician who served as Sheriff of Marion County, Indiana, from 2003 until 2011. He was the first black person to serve in that post and the second black Sheriff in Indiana after Oatess E. Archey, who was elected sheriff of Grant County, Indiana in 1998 and re-elected to another four-year term in 2002.
Frank Anderson grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. While a student at Shortridge High School, he was a member of the wrestling team, and was inducted into the IHSWCA Hall of Fame in 1990. Following graduation from high school in 1956, he enlisted in the United States Navy Shore Patrol, serving until 1959.[2]
From 1961 to 1965, he served as a Patrol Deputy in the Marion County Sheriff's Office. From 1965 to 1977, he served in the United States Marshals Service, serving first as a Deputy Marshal, and later as an inspector and security specialist.
During his tenure with the U.S. Marshals Service, he helped create and later directed the Federal Witness Protection Program. In 1977, he was appointed U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, becoming the top federal law enforcement official for over half the state, serving in that post until 1981.
Following a brief stint in the private sector, he was appointed a District Director for the Federal Protective Service, where he was in charge of providing security in federal facilities in Indiana, Minnesota, and parts of Illinois and Wisconsin from 1983 to 1994. He was reappointed as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, serving from 1994 to 2001. In that capacity, he oversaw the federal government seizure of the Indianapolis Baptist Temple, winning praise for his peaceful handling of the standoff, and oversaw the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.[3]