Gary L. Anderson

Hall of Fame

Date of birth:

10/8/1939

Hometown:

Holdredge, Nebraska

Olympic Experience:

  • 1964 Olympic Games - Gold - 300m Three Position Rifle (World Record)
  • 1968 Olympic Games - Gold - 300m Three Position Rifle (World Record)
  • 1968 Olympic Games - Eighth - 50m Prone Rifle

Biography:

Anderson grew up on a small farm in Nebraska and found his love for shooting sports early. From a young age, the shooting sports and hunting intrigued Anderson. A self-taught sportsman, Anderson found himself gaining momentum in the sport after training at home for hours at a time, holding the rifle on a spot on the wall in his home.

His quest for Olympic gold led him to the United States Army, where after convincing the Army rifle coaches of his talent was moved to the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning. His first international match was the Pan American Games in 1959, and two years later he would claim his first National Championship title.

After his active career, Anderson has continued to work with shooting. He was Shooting Competition Manager at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and has served as Director of Civilian Marksmanship in the U.S. Civilian Marksmanship Program since 1999. He is also one of the vice presidents of the International Shooting Sports Federation.

Competition Highlights:

  • 1966 World Championships - Gold Medalist
  • NRA Executive Director - General Operations from 1977-1992
  • Voted by UIT as the #3 shooter in UIT history
  • Presented the U.S. Distinguished International Shooter Badge #1 by President John F. Kennedy in early 1963