Willis M. Anderson

Willis Martin "Wick" Anderson (November 3, 1928 – April 23, 2002) was an American lawyer and politician.

Willis M. Anderson
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
In office January 8, 1964 – January 12, 1972 Serving with M. Caldwell Butler
Preceded by	Kossen Gregory
Succeeded by	John C. Towler
Constituency	61st district (1964–1966) 57th district (1966–1972)
37th Mayor of Roanoke
In office September 1, 1960 – August 31, 1962
Preceded by	Vincent S. Wheeler
Succeeded by	Murray A. Stoller
Personal details
Born	Willis Martin Anderson (1928-11-03)November 3, 1928 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died	April 23, 2002(2002-04-23) (aged 73) Salem, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (until 1984) Republican (1984–2002)
Education	Roanoke College Washington and Lee University (LLB)
Occupation	Lawyer politician
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1952–1954

He was elected to the Roanoke, Virginia city council as a Democrat in 1958 and, two years later, became the youngest mayor in the city's history. In 1963, he ran for the Roanoke City seat in the Virginia House of Delegates being vacated by Kossen Gregory, and he was elected alongside Republican incumbent M. Caldwell Butler. In August 1972, Richard H. Poff, member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia's 6th congressional district, resigned after being appointed by Governor Linwood Holton to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court of Virginia. Both Anderson and Butler decided to forgo reelection, instead seeking their respective parties' nominations to succeed Poff in Congress. Butler defeated Anderson in both the special election to complete Poff's unfinished term and the regular election to a full term. When Butler retired a decade later, Anderson again sought the seat but was bested at the party's nomination convention by Jim Olin. Anderson defected to the Republican Party in 1984 and later unsuccessfully ran for mayor against David A. Bowers.^[1]