John B. Anderson

John B. Anderson in 1980, Leffler, Warren K., Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection

Birth Name: John Bayard Anderson

Date of Birth: February 15, 1922

Place of Birth: Rockford, Illinois, U.S.

Date of Death: December 3, 2017

Place of Death: Washington, D.C., U.S.

Ethnicity: Swedish

John B. Anderson, also known as John Anderson, was an American politician. As a Republican, he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois, from January 3, 1961 to January 3, 1981, and Chairman of the House Republican Conference, from January 3, 1969 to January 3, 1979.

He was an independent candidate for President of the United States in 1980. He was previously a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1980.

John was the son of Mabel Edna (Ring) and Ernest Albin Anderson. His father was Swedish. His mother was born in Illinois, to Swedish parents.

He was married to Keke Machakos, with whom he had five children.

John’s paternal grandfather was Claes/Klaus Johan Andersson/Andreasson Lindal (the son of Andreas Johannesson Lindal and Cajsa Carlsdotter).

John’s paternal grandmother was named Matilda Sofia Krut Andersdotter.

John’s maternal grandfather was Johannes/John Ring (the son of Johannes Ring and Cajsa/Kajsa Johannesdotter).

John’s maternal grandmother was Gustava Augusta Feldt (the daughter of J. Feldt and M. Swenson).

Two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have served as Vice President of the United States, Hubert Humphrey, from January 20, 1965 to January 20, 1969, and Walter Mondale, from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. Both were members of the Democratic Party.

Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale were also the two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry who were nominated for President of the United States by a major party, Humphrey in 1968 and Mondale in 1984, both by the Democratic Party.

Mondale was also the Democratic Party’s nominee for re-election as Vice President in 1980. Aside of Humphrey and Mondale, three people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have been nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party. They were/are:
*Earl Warren (1948; Republican; Warren was of Norwegian and Swedish descent)
*Lloyd Bentsen (1988, Democratic; Bentsen’s father was of Danish descent)
*Tim Walz (2024, Democratic; Walz’s paternal grandmother was of Swedish descent)

John was one of several people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry to run a plausible or semi-plausible campaign for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States. Of these candidates, several won a major party’s caucus and/or primary. They were:
*Earl Warren (who sought the 1936, 1944, 1948, and 1952 Republican nominations; each time, won 1 state, California)
*Charles A. Christopherson (who sought the 1944 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Christopherson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Hubert Humphrey (Democratic; in 1952, he won 1 state, Minnesota; in 1960, he won 2 states; in 1972, he won 5 states)
*Joe Foss (who sought the 1956 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Foss’s father was of Norwegian descent)
*Henry M. Jackson (Democratic; ran in 1972 and 1976: in 1976, he won 4 contests; Jackson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Walter Mondale (1984, the year he was nominated; Democratic; won 20 contests)

Other people of heavily Scandinavian heritage who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States are:
*George T. Mickelson (who sought the 1952 Republican nomination; Mickelson’s father was Norwegian)
*Pat Paulsen (who sought the 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996 nominations, usually Democratic; Paulsen’s father was Norwegian)
*Frank Carlson (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination; Carlson’s parents were Swedish)
*Lloyd Bentsen (who sought the 1976 Democratic nomination)
*Bob Smith (who sought the 2000 Republican nomination; Smith’s paternal grandfather was of Danish descent)
*Gary Johnson (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination, and was the Libertarian Party’s 2012 and 2016 nominee for President of the United States; Johnson’s father was adopted by Danish and Norwegian parents, and was possibly himself of Scandinavian descent)
*Michele Bachmann (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Bachmann is of Norwegian descent)
*Jon Huntsman, Jr. (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Huntsman is of one eighth Swedish, one eighth Norwegian, and one sixteenth Danish, descent)
*Eric Swalwell (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Swalwell’s mother is of Swedish and Danish descent)
*Perry Johnson (who sought the 2024 Republican nomination; Johnson’s father was of Swedish and Norwegian descent)

Source: John B. Anderson on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org