| James A. Andersen | |
| Office: | Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court |
| Term Start: | July 3, 1984 |
| Term End: | 1995 |
| Predecessor: | Charles F. Stafford Jr. |
| Successor: | Phil Talmadge |
| Office1: | Minority Leader of the Washington Senate |
| Term Start1: | January 11, 1971 |
| Term End1: | January 8, 1973 |
| Predecessor1: | R. Frank Atwood |
| Successor1: | Harry B. Lewis |
| State Senate2: | Washington |
| District2: | 48th |
| Term Start2: | January 9, 1967 |
| Term End2: | January 8, 1973 |
| Predecessor2: | Albert C. Thompson Jr. |
| Successor2: | John D. Jones |
| State House3: | Washington |
| District3: | 48th |
| Term Start3: | January 12, 1959 |
| Term End3: | January 9, 1967 |
| Predecessor3: | Vacant |
| Successor3: | Richard U. Chapin |
| Birth Date: | 21 September 1924 |
| Birth Place: | Auburn, Washington, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Occupation: | Attorney, politician, judge |
| Alma Mater: | University of Washington (BA, LLB) |
James A. Andersen (September 21, 1924 – May 1, 2022) was an American politician and judge in the state of Washington, serving as a justice of the Washington Supreme Court from 1984 to 1995.
The son of a coal miner, and one himself for a time, Anderson served in the United States Army as a combat infantryman in World War II, where he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge near Bastogne.[1] [2] [3] He then attended the University of Washington, receiving his Arts degree in 1949, and law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1951.[2]
Anderson served in the Washington House of Representatives from District 48 from 1959 to 1967. In 1968, Anderson was elected as a Republican to the Washington State Senate from the same district, running unopposed.[4] Andersen served in the state senate until 1972. He served in the state legislature for a total of 13 years.[5]
From 1975 to 1984, he was a judge on the Court of Appeals, Division One. In 1981, Anderson was named by the Washington State Bar Association as one of three choices for a seat on the state supreme court.[5] Following the death of Justice Charles F. Stafford in 1984, Andersen again was named for consideration, and was chosen by Governor John Spellman for appointment to the seat.[6] He then ran unopposed in the 1984 election to retain office.[3] [7] From July 9, 1984 to January 9, 1995, he was a justice of the Washington Supreme Court, including a stint as chief justice in 1993. Anderson announced his resignation from the court in 1994, taking effect in 1995.
Andersen married Billiette, with whom he had two children.[2] He died on May 1, 2022, at the age of 97.[8] [9]