Editing Clinton Anderson (section)

=== Early career ===
After his father broke his back in 1916, Anderson left the University of Michigan to go home to help to support his family. He worked for several months for a newspaper in [[Mitchell, South Dakota]], until he became seriously ill with [[tuberculosis]]. He was not aware of his illness until he attempted to join the [[US military]] in 1917 upon America's entrance into [[World War I]]. Doctors gave him six months to live. One gave him the advice to check himself into the Methodist Sanitarium in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]]. He promptly did so, and while recovering there, he occasionally wrote for the ''Albuquerque Herald''.

In 1919, as soon as he was well enough to leave the sanitarium, he gained employment with the ''[[Albuquerque Morning Journal]]'', now called the ''[[Albuquerque Journal]]'', and he was sent to [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] to cover the [[New Mexico Legislature]]. Very critical of how the Republican Party was running the state, he befriended some New Mexico Democratic legislators and gave them his ideas on bills before the legislature. Some of the ideas eventually became state law, and Anderson began a lifelong association with the Democratic Party.

His long career of [[civil service|public service]] began as executive secretary of the New Mexico Public Health Association in 1919. There, he raised money to fight tuberculosis, established county health programs, and was instrumental in founding the [[New Mexico Department of Health]].

In the early 1920s, Anderson pursued private business affairs. In 1922, he started in the insurance business with the New Mexico Loan and Mortgage Company. Anderson was soon able to buy the business and change the name to the Clinton P. Anderson Agency, a successful and enduring enterprise.

Actively involved in the [[Rotary Club]] of Albuquerque since 1919, he was elected to the International Board in 1930 and became president of [[Rotary International]] in 1932, a position that introduced him to many business and political contacts.