Philanthropist and businessman John E. Anderson, who founded and served as president Topa Equities Ltd., died July 29 at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 93.
“Mr. Anderson’s contributions to our territory’s economy were only trumped by his extremely generous donations to so many worthwhile causes over the years. He was an inspiring individual, and I hope that his achievements will serve to inspire many of young people on what they can achieve with the foundation of a good education and the desire to succeed,” Gov. John deJongh Jr. said in a press release.
According to the governor, Anderson, a prominent Los Angeles attorney, came to the Virgin Islands in 1980 to assist his friends Henry Kimelman and Elliot Fishman close a transaction involving the sale of the West Indies Corporation. When the deal for the beverage distribution company fell through, Anderson decided to buy West Indies on his own, starting a business and charitable relationship with the territory that was to last three decades. The governor said companies owned by Topa include West Indies Corporation, Bellows International, Dorchester Insurance, and Topa Properties.
“John Anderson quietly contributed to so many V.I. charities over the years. Without ever seeking personal attention, he generously gave to a number of community organizations that helped thousands of Virgin Islanders—everything from providing scholarships for teachers to enhance the learning of their students to funding Carnival activities,” deJongh said.
Anderson’s Topa Equities Ltd. had 33 subsidiaries that included holdings in insurance, real estate, financial services, wholesale beverage distribution, automobile dealerships and manufacturing. For the past three decades, Anderson operated several businesses in the Virgin Islands in the areas of wholesale beverage distribution, real estate and insurance.
Manhar Desai, president of Topa Insurance on St. Thomas, called Anderson an unassuming man who took an interest in his managers and staff. He told a story about how Anderson showed up unannounced at the Topa office. When Desai left his client to greet him, he said that Anderson told him to finish first with his client.
“Take care of business,” Desai said Anderson told him.
Desai admired Anderson for his hands-off approach to management.
“He allowed people to go, and he expected them to do the right thing,” Desai said.
The efforts of Anderson, a Minnesota native, had a long reach. His name graces the University of California, Los Angeles John E. Anderson School of Management. He was a huge supporter of the school, providing extensive financial support as well as time and leadership, the school said in a press release.
"I was very lucky to come to UCLA on a scholarship, and I’ve never forgotten that," Anderson told the school in April. "The lessons and values I learned while attending UCLA shaped my thinking throughout my business and community life and helped build my business reputation. Giving back to the school is my way of enabling future generations to have the kind of opportunities that UCLA offered me. It is simply doing the right thing."
After graduating from UCLA in 1940 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he received a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business and a law degree from the Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles. Until his death, he was president of Topa Equities Ltd.
He started his career as an attorney, but according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, he got into business by founding Ace Beverage Co. in Los Angeles. The company had the exclusive rights to distribute Budweiser beer.
Anderson was a former chairman of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, a trustee and former president of the St. John’s Hospital and Health Center Foundation, and a trustee of Claremont McKenna College. In 2002 he was the first recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award at UCLA Anderson. He was named Southern California Entrepreneur of the Year in 1987, Outstanding Individual Philanthropist on National Philanthropy Day in 1988, Master Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002, and Business Person of the Year by the Business Hall of Fame in 2003.
Anderson had five children with his first wife, Margaret, who died of cancer in 1965. Their daughter, Deborah, died in a car accident four years later at age 17.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Marion, as well as daughters Susan McKinley and Judy Munzig and sons John and William. He had 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
