Anderson, James Edward

He entered the University of Toronto, from which he graduated in 1953 as an MD.

In 1963, Dr. Anderson became an Associate Professor of Physical Anthropology at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

He left U of T in 1967 to become chair and professor of Anatomy at the new medical school at McMaster University.

(He had Second World War service.) He was appointed as a Surgeon Sub-Lieutenant RCN(R) (With seniority dated 16/05/1956).

He was appointed as a Surgeon Lieutenant RCN(R) (With seniority backdated to 16/05/1954). (He was released.)

Professor Sonja M. Jerkic wrote: "The anatomy training during his university years brought him into contact with the well-known anatomy professor, J. C. B. Grant. Upon completing his medical internship, Dr. Anderson returned to the U of T Anatomy Department in 1956 as a Lecturer in Anatomy. Over the next two years he taught not only a full load in anatomy but a course in human osteology for pre-med students for the Department of Anthropology as well.

In 1958, he was appointed to the Department of Anthropology as Assistant Professor of Physical Anthropology. Over the next five years, in addition to a full teaching load in Anatomy, he initiated and taught a variety of graduate half courses for the Anthropology Department, including Human Osteology, Human Growth and Development, Human Evolution, Dental Anthropology, Human Genetics, Archaeology and Biomedical Statistics.

He set up an osteology lab that became the temporary home for skeletal collections being studied. Some were old, previously excavated samples such as the Montgomery and Boyle Osteology Collection from the ROM, a Late Woodland population from Manitoba. Others were from recently excavated sites such as Fairty and Serpent Mounds in Ontario.Dr. Anderson was in all senses an anthropologist, by nature if not by training. The osteological and paleopathological data that he collected and that, in turn, he taught his students to observe and collect were, first and foremost, scientific information. "