The Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame inducted its 2019 class — its second ever — on Dec. 5, 2019, at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. John V. Anderson, with F&M Bank; the late Clark and Wanda Bass, with First National Bank & Trust Co., in McAlester; Oklahoma State Banking Commissioner Mick Thompson; and the late Morrison Tucker, a longtime prominent Oklahoma City-area banker, made up the 2019 inaugural group.
One 2019 inductee, John V. Anderson, is a Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member.
He has been chairman emeritus and a director at F&M bank in central Oklahoma since 2011, and has served in various capacities with the financial institution since purchasing it in 1972.
Born in 1927, Anderson grew up during the Great Depression. After graduating from Choctaw High School in 1945, he enlisted and served in the U.S. Navy for a year at 17 years old. His father signed the papers that allowed him to enlist. He served as a seaman on the USS Siboney from June 1945 until August 1946.
Upon his return, he attended night school at Oklahoma City University and began working at Liberty National Bank & Trust in Oklahoma City as a messenger and bookkeeper.
He worked with Liberty in various roles for the next 26 years. After a position in the teller line, he spent 16 years in auditing and became assistant vice president in 1969 followed by senior vice president in charge of Liberty Operations by 1973. During his time there, fellow inductee Morrison Tucker became a valued mentor.
He eventually purchased what was then Farmers & Merchants bank in Crescent in 1972, not taking over as president and CEO until 1980 in order for the bank to retain his salary. Anderson instead worked in leadership positions at other banks in the larger Oklahoma City metro.
Besides Liberty National Bank and F&M Bank, he has also served as the organizer, president and CEO of American Heritage Bank in El Reno as well as senior vice president and president of United Bank Advisory Services for United Oklahoma Bank in Oklahoma City.
Under his leadership, F&M Bank grew from $5 million in assets in one location to $480 million and nine locations in nearly five decades. He continues to work at the main location in Crescent, Oklahoma, as chairman, emeritus and director of F&M Bancshares.
He served on numerous banking, administrative and philanthropic boards during his career, including the Oklahoma Bankers Association’s board of directors in 1981-82 and a term as president of the Central Oklahoma Chapter of the Bank Administration Institution. Anderson is also a deacon at First Baptist Church in Crescent.
In 2017, he received recognition for his service during WWII as the honored veteran at the Family Reunion Festival. He is a member of the Anderson family.