George Anderson: Practicing What He Preached

As part of Allen ISD’s 100th anniversary, we have been looking back on the school district’s namesakes. The school board bestowed that honor on Rev. George Anderson in 1997 for his career of service to the children and families of Allen.

George Anderson was born in Collin, Texas in 1920. Following high school, he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) before enrolling at Wylie College in Marshall.

“I had hoped to study engineering but college opportunities for blacks were very limited in the late 1940’s, said Anderson in a 2002 interview.

“Teacher education programs were more accessible so I headed off to Wylie College with a lot of hope but no money.”

Anderson met the college president and successfully proposed three months of work at the college in exchange for three months of tuition. As a football walk-on the next fall, he earned an athletic scholarship and was able to attend school full time.

He traded his football uniform for army khakis in 1942 and was eventually stationed in Cairo, Egypt until 1945.

Following the war and with help from the G.I. Bill, he returned to Texas College in Tyler and earned a teaching degree in 1949. He began teaching in 1950 and went on to earn a master’s degree from Texas Southern University in 1959.

Anderson told the story once of his persistence in getting a job in Allen. He visited with Allen Superintendent W.H. Moseley who had no openings. Each week Anderson would appear at Moseley’s office until the superintendent “gave in and hired the ambitious young man.”
He taught grades 5 through 8 at Allen’s segregated school until 1964 when the school district was able to educate all students under one roof. Anderson briefly worked for Collins Radio before returning to Allen as a middle school and high school social studies teacher and football line coach until his retirement in 1975.

Anderson’s wife Hazel taught school in northern Collin County most of her career and then joined George at St. Mary’s shortly before the school closed.

In addition to his teaching role, Anderson was ordained in 1969 and became pastor of Allen’s St. Mary Baptist Church in 1978 when Rev. H.W. Howard retired. He also served as pastor of the St. Paul Baptist Church in Melissa.

“Mr. Anderson was an easygoing teacher but could be tough if you got out of line,” remembers Charles Hall, who attended both the segregated school and Allen High School. “He was a good teacher and the kids looked up to him.”

Billie “Rabbit” Robinson also attended both schools and spent many days in class with Anderson.
“He was nice but the kids knew to listen in class or they would pay the price. He was a ‘straight A’ teacher and you knew you were going to learn in his class.”

Robinson also lived across the street from Anderson on Coats Drive growing up.
“The black community at that time was small – only a few blocks – and he was “the man.” As the teacher at the black school and pastor of the church, he knew every kid and every family. You knew he was watching over us and I was glad he lived across the street.”

George Anderson was a teacher, pastor and community leader at a time when many towns in the south were struggling with the fact that segregation was wrong and integration was inevitable. Working with other community leaders like high school principal Max Vaughan and Superintendent D.L. Rountree, Anderson helped make that transition a smooth one.

“There’s one pattern I’ve tried to set for myself my whole life,” said Anderson in a 2002 interview about a school being named in his honor. “I try to follow the 13th chapter of St. Matthew every day teaching myself that the seeds I sow are the plants I will reap. You have to put your community first and be the best you can in helping your community thrive.”

Rev. George Anderson died in 2003 but the seeds he sowed in Allen, Texas have deep roots.