"A son of Africa at heart as he was a son of Scotland by blood."

David Anderson first came to Africa in 1941, and over the course of four decades, became a passionate advocate of African empowerment and development. His impact on regional cooperation and the empowerment of local civil services, along with his powerful stance against the institution of apartheid, established David as a selfless civil servant, a model of political conviction, and an exemplary humanitarian.

Beginning his career in Britain's civil services as District Officer in the Colonial Administrative Services of the Gold Coast (now Ghana), David grew convinced of the need to reform the nation's civil services in preparation for its independence from British colonial rule. Throughout the 60's, in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), and later in Kenya, David continued to advise local administrations as they made the transition to independence.

David was appointed Ford Foundation representative for Eastern and Southern Africa in 1967, leading the cause of "development cooperation" between African countries. In 1978, after establishing the European Economic Community Delegation for Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland, David returned to Britain as the Managing Director of the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation. Although he retired in 1983, David continued sharing his expertise with developing African nations until his death in 1989.