Edwin J. Anderson

Biography

Edwin J. Anderson came into the world on August 3, 1902, in Rockford, Illinois. He went to Beloit College, finishing his studies in 1927, and it was there that he met Isabel Bort, the woman he would marry. The couple tied the knot in late March 1928 and first settled in Vincennes, Indiana, where Anderson took a job as advertising manager for a local newspaper.

Business career

In 1931, the Andersons relocated to Peoria, Illinois, after he landed the role of advertising manager at Altorfer Bros. Company. By 1937, he had moved up to general sales manager for James Barclay and Company, and the very next year he joined Goebel Brewing Company as vice president and general sales manager. Anderson became president of Goebel Brewing in 1941 at just 38 years old, holding that position until 1958, when he stepped down to devote more time to his work with the Detroit Lions.

Anderson was also deeply involved in community service. He chaired the 1945 Detroit Community Fund and served as president of the Children's Hospital of Detroit for three years. Additionally, he sat on the boards of Lumberman's Mutual Casualty Company and the American Motorist Insurance Company.

Detroit Lions

His connection to the Lions began when he became a member of the Detroit Football Company, a group of over 140 business leaders led by D. Lyle Fife that bought the struggling team from Fred L. Mandel Jr. on January 16, 1948. When Fife resigned as president during the 1949 season, Anderson took over. Under his leadership, the Lions turned a profit for the first time in 1951, and the team went on to capture three NFL championships and four division titles before their success waned after the 1957 season. In 1958, Anderson became general manager after Nick Kerbawy left for the same role with the Detroit Pistons.

In 1960, Anderson sought to become NFL Commissioner, but Detroit’s owner representative, D. Lyle Fife, refused to cast a vote for him. The following year, Anderson resigned as president after a faction of Football Company stockholders, again led by Fife, tried to remove him.

William Clay Ford Sr., who supported Anderson, was chosen as the new president, while Anderson stayed on as general manager. This internal conflict ended in 1963 when Ford bought out the other shareholders. In 1964, Russ Thomas took over football operations, and Anderson remained with the team as a vice president.