Senator Cal Anderson Memorial

Location

The Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Tree dedicated to the memory of Senator Cal Anderson is located on Cherry Lane, east of the Temple of Justice and Legislative Building.

Plaque photo credit: Joe Mable CC BY-SA 4.0

Inscription

This tree is dedicated to Senator Cal Anderson as a tribute to his integrity, dignity and courage in striving to make all citizens of Washington state equal under the law.
May 2, 1948 – August 4, 1995

Legislative service

November 1987-August 1995

History & significance

Senator Cal Anderson served both the state and our country. He returned from his service in Vietnam as a decorated veteran and entered politics as an aide before serving on the Washington State House of Representatives and then the Senate. He was Washington's first openly gay state legislator, and one of his priorities was extending the state civil rights law to include the LGBTQ community. He also fought for low-income housing.