Recreation Facilities Named In Honor Of "Hank" Anderson

Monday, August 19th, 2024

The City of Dalton dedicated to the recreation facilities at the Mack Gaston Community Center in honor of Henry "Hank" Anderson, III with a ceremony on Saturday. Mr. Anderson was an instrumental and influential member of Dalton’s Parks and Recreation Department in the 1950s and 60s.

Mr. Anderson graduated from Allen College in Columbia, South Carolina (now Allen University) with a degree in recreation management and in 1952 he was recruited to come to work for the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department by John Davis. When he arrived, he started free programs in baseball, football, and basketball for Dalton youth and also instituted swimming lessons and family swimming events at the City's pool. He also was instrumental in organizing funding for the construction of the first community center and upgrading numerous parks facilities.

He was also a tireless advocate for kids in the Emery Street area, and during his time in Dalton, the number of students from Emery Street moving on to college tripled. Mr. Anderson encouraged kids to look to broaden their horizons.

After leaving Dalton, Mr. Anderson continued his career as director of the parks department in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. But the legacy he left behind in Dalton with the lives he touched and the department he helped to build is still growing today. During a ceremony on Saturday, it was remembered that Mr. Anderson used to signal curfew by turning the lights on and off at the baseball field, a reminder that it was time for kid to head home. But thanks to what Hank Anderson helped to build here, the lights never stay off for long. The City of Dalton is proud that his name will be now associated with the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department for many more years to come.