Anderson, Carl: Files, 1985-1987

Office of Public Liaison, 1985-1987

Domestic Policy, Catholics, Family Issues

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Scope and Content Note

Although Carl Anderson officially transferred from the Office of Policy Development at the White House to the Office of Public Liaison in September 1985, his files indicate that he might have been working in the Public Liaison office as early as July 1985. It also appears that he either inherited some Public Liaison material that was created prior to his joining that office, or brought over some material from his time in Policy Development.

At the start of the second administration, the Office of Policy Development was organized into the broader subject interests of public advocacy groups. Anderson was made the head of the Domestic Issues Division of the Office of Public Liaison. His collection reflects this focus. In turn, there is some Carl Anderson Public Liaison material scattered in the collections of staff members working under him regarding domestic social issues after he left the White House in the fall of 1987.

This collection consists of three series: SERIES I: Correspondence; SERIES II: Subject File; and SERIES III: Events, 1985-1987.

Series List

SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE

SERIES II: SUBJECT FILE

SERIES III: EVENTS 1985-1987

Biography

Carl Albert Anderson is an attorney, former government official and was the 13th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Carl Anderson was born on February 27, 1951. Anderson graduated in 1972 from Seattle University with a B.A. in philosophy. Anderson earned his law degree from the University of Denver in 1975. He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and is admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Anderson has received honorary doctorates from The Catholic University of American, The Pontifical Theology Academy of Krakow, Sacred Heart University, Albertus Mangus College, Ave Maria University, St. Vincent's Seminary, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Ave Maria School of Law.

Anderson began his career in government as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) from 1976-1981. Actively campaigning for Ronald Reagan in 1980, Anderson served on the Republican National Committee Human Resources Task Force preparing the 1980 Republican Platform. After the Reagan election win, Anderson served on the transition team in the office of the President-elect.

From 1981-1983, Anderson served as a legal advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Anderson's first position in the White House was as an assistant to John "Jack" Svahn, Assistant to the President for Policy Development. Working in the Office of Policy Development, Anderson co-chaired the White House Working Group on Family Issues. He then became Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and head of the Domestic Issues Division of the Office of Public Liaison. After Mari Maseng resigned as Director of the Public Liaison office in June 1987, Anderson served as Acting Director until the new Director, Rebecca Range, began work in September. Anderson resigned from the White House effective October 1, 1987.

Following his service at the White House, Anderson served for nearly a decade as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

After his lengthy government service Anderson turned to his deep interest and involvement in Catholic institutions. From October 2000-February 2021, Anderson served as the 13th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. Under Anderson's leadership, the Knights of Columbus created a Christian Refugee Relief Fund to help raise money for Christians persecuted by ISIS. The Knights also led an effort to document persecution against Christians in order to establish that ISIS was perpetrating genocide. This effort culminated in a 278-page report which facilitated the unanimous passage of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018. In addition to facilitating this legislation, the Knights donated more than $20 million in support of religious minorities in the Middle East between 2014 and 2018.

During his tenure, the Knights of Columbus launched their "ultrasound initiative," with the stated goal of donating 1,000 ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers during the following decade. The Knights met this 10-year goal. The Knights of Columbus also provided donations and volunteer labor in response to natural disasters, such as donating wheelchairs after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and other similar disasters. In 2020, they committed $1 million in response to COVID-19, primarily in donations to food banks, as well as encouraging extra volunteer work.

Anderson had ties to the Catholic church throughout his time with the government. From 1983 to 1998 Anderson taught as a visiting professor of family law at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family located at the Pontifical Lateran University. Anderson became the founding vice president and first dean of the Washington, DC session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family in 1988. He formally served as a member of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America and the National Catholic Educational Association.

Anderson is a Knight Grand Cross of St. Gregory the Great, a Knight Grand Cross of St. Sylvester, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Holy Sepulcher.

In 1998, Pope John Paul II appointed Anderson to the Pontifical Academy for Life and in 2002 to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. In 2003 he was named a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Anderson as a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family and as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. In 2009, Pope Benedict appointed Anderson to a five-year term on the board of supervisors of the Institute for Works of Religion, also known as the Vatican Bank.

In 1994, he was a member of the Vatican delegation for the Fifteenth Meeting of the International Catholic Jewish Liaison Committee held in Jerusalem.

Anderson was named one of the "100 Most Influential in Business Ethics" in 2014 and 2015 by Ethisphere. He was awarded the Order of Merit from the government of Poland and the Evangelium Vitae Medal from the University of Notre Dame in 2015. He has received the Patronal Medal of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for his "distinguished service in the advancement of Marian devotion;" the Archdiocese of Denver's Imago Dei Award; the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty's Canterbury Medal; the Path to Peace Foundation's Servant of Peace Award; the Pontifical North American College's Rector's Award; the Sisters of Life John Cardinal O'Connor Award; the Gold Palm of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher; and March for Life's Pro-Life Legacy Award.

Anderson has lectured and written on the subjects of family policy, constitutional law, Catholic theology, and international human rights. He has edited several books on family policy including: Emblem of Freedom: The American Family in the 1980s, and The Wealth of Families: Ethics and Economics in the 1980s. Books on Catholic philosophy include: A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World and Beyond a House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored by Washington, Wall Street and the Media. He is the co-author, with Father José Granados, of Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body and Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love with Eduardo Chávez Sánchez, and is the co-editor with Livio Melina of The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est. His book, These Liberties We Hold Sacred: Essays on Faith and Citizenship in the 21st Century was published in 2021. His books have been published in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese, Korean, and Ukrainian.

Anderson is married to Dorian Anderson. They have five children and eight grandchildren. Dorian Anderson also received an honorary doctorate from The Catholic University at the same time as her husband. Catholic University was honoring them for their charitable work and serving the Catholic Church through their witnessing the family as the foundational unit of society, and supporting pro-life causes around the world.

Record Type

Textual

Last Modified Date

2025-01-14

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Anderson, Carl: Files, 1985-1987

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