Harry Anderson (1921-1996) was the City of Urbana's first African-American police officer.

Harry Anderson (1921-1996)

He was born March 18, 1921, at Urbana, a son of Wilbert and Hattie Hite Anderson. He married Addie Thorne on June 30, 1950, at Las Vegas, Nevada. She died June 30, 1968.

He had two sons, Harrie Warren Anderson of Racine Wis, and Adlar Bryson Anderson of Gaithersburg, Md. gradaughter, Dierdre Anderson-Jenkins of Urbana; three sisters, Mary Edith Thomas of Phoenix, Ariz., Verna Martin of Rantoul and Frances Isom of Rockford; seven grandchildren ; and one great-grandchild.

He had four additional brothers and four additional sisters.

Mr. Anderson was a 1941 graduate of Urbana High School. He served as a corporal in the U.S. Army. He retired as an operations supervisor at the Illini Union after working there for 18 years. He was a member of Salem Baptist Church, Champaign