The Peyton Anderson Scholarship has been established in celebration of the twentieth anniversary (2009) of The Peyton Anderson Foundation. Peyton Anderson felt and obligation to make the world a better place by serving his neighbor. He, also, placed a high value on education. During his lifetime, he provided funding so that deserving young people could attend college. Mr. Anderson’s philanthropy and interest in education have led to the establishment of this scholarship intended to support the educational pursuits of students from Bibb County.

Peyton Tooke Anderson, Jr., was born in Macon in 1907. While he was growing up, he worked at the family-owned newspapers The Macon Telegraph and The Macon News. In the late 1940's, he bought back the papers after they had been sold. Mr. Anderson attended the United States Naval Academy, serving in the Navy during World War II and earning the rank of Commander.

For many years, Mr. Anderson served as a leader in a wide variety of companies, organizations, and boards, both locally and internationally. Some of his responsibilities included serving as president of the Macon Chamber of Commerce in 1950; chairman of the Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy; and a director of the Citizens and Southern National Bank, the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway, Knight-Ridder, Inc., and the Southern Company. He also served on the board of the International Oceanographic Foundation and was appointed in 1959 by President Eisenhower to the International Development Advisory Board.

Prominent in the newspaper field, Mr. Anderson served as director of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association several times, and held the office of president in 1953-54. In addition, he served as a member of the board of directors of the American Publishers Association and the association's Research Institute.

When Mr. Anderson died on April 24, 1988, he directed in his will that the bulk of his estate was to be used broadly for charitable purposes. Mr. Anderson's longtime, dedicated involvement in the Middle Georgia area led to his desire to respond to charitable needs in his own hometown and region. The Peyton Anderson Foundation today carries out these wishes and serves as a lasting memorial to a man whose goodwill lives on long after him.