James S. Anderson was born, in 1918 in Ilion, NY, the son of the James and Charlotte Anderson. Dr. Anderson graduated from Ilion High School in 1936. During World War II, Dr. Anderson was a Second Lieutenant and a navigator on a Liberator plane. James Anderson attended the University of Buffalo and graduated, in an accelerated program, from the School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Anderson married Phyllis Spouse and returned to his hometown, Ilion, to begin his dental practice. Throughout his life and career in Ilion, Dr. Anderson has held positions on many boards and continued to serve his community. He was featured as a distinguished alumnus in the Ilion Alumni site 2014 July Cover Story. They raised their children, Laurie, Phillip and Christine, at their family home, on Brook Street, in Ilion. Dr. Anderson and his wife, Phyllis, live in Ilion at Forge Hill Estates.