The Twenty - Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous
Number 7
Terry Anderson
On March 16, 1985, former Batavia resident Terry Anderson had just finished a game of tennis in Beirut, Lebanon when three gunmen pulled up in a green Mercedes and kidnapped him. This was day one in a 2,454 day ordeal that captivated the City of Batavia, Genesee County, the United States and the world.
Terry Anderson was born on October 27, 1947 in Lorain, Ohio, a small city west of Cleveland. The Anderson family moved to Albion in 1954, and then to Clinton Street in Batavia in 1961. He attended Batavia High School and graduated in 1965. While in high school, Anderson participated in bowling, chess club, Thespians and hobby Club.
After graduation, Anderson joined the United States Marine Corps and served as a combat correspondent in Vietnam. Following his service in the Marines, he studied journalism at Iowa State University, graduating in 1974. He got a job working for the Associated Press in Asia and Africa before being assigned to Lebanon as chief Middle East correspondent in 1983. His kidnapping occurred two years later.
His captors were a group of Shiite Muslims. During his captivity, Anderson was tortured and beaten. He didn’t know from one day to the next if he would be released or killed. He turned to the Bible for peace and wrote poetry.
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Batavia Daily News Headlines from the week of December 4, 1991 |
After being imprisoned for nearly seven years, Anderson was released on December 4, 1991. After his release he spent a few days in a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany before returning to the United States.
After the ordeal, he taught at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in New York City and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism of Ohio University. He wrote a best-seller, Den of Lions, a memoir of his experience as a hostage. He also won a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Iranian Government for his captivity.
Today, he is semi-retired and lives in Athens, Ohio. He is the co-founder of the Vietnam Children’s Fund. His organization has built over 40 schools attended by more than 20,000 students in Vietnam, with plans for more schools in the works. He lectures, writes and is a frequent guest on talk radio programs. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Ohio Senate.
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Batavia Daily News Headlines from Anderson's homecoming in June 1992. |
How Does He Make Genesee County Famous?
At nearly seven years, Anderson was the longest held hostage in the Middle East. His family and friends in Batavia took up his cause and worked tirelessly to secure his release. His sister, Peggy Say, appeared on national television shows and gave hundreds of interviews to keep her brother in the spotlight. For her efforts she was named ABC Evening News Person of the Week for Friday, March 16, 1990.
Following his release, camera crews descended on Batavia. Not only the regional stations, but the national news set up their cameras all over Main Street. Good Morning America even planned to do a live broadcast from a local restaurant, but the plans fell through. No other event in the history of Genesee County created a larger media spotlight.
At his press conference in Germany following his release, as the world listened, he continually mentioned his hometown of Batavia and thanked the people who worked to get him released.
Anderson returned home for the first time since his capture in June 1992. A huge homecoming was planned. There was a parade from the Salvation Army to Batavia Downs. In the motorcade were many dignitaries including Governor Mario Cuomo. At Batavia Downs there was a homecoming ceremony attended by 4,000 people. He gave the commencement address to the Batavia High School Class of 1992; he told the graduates to “get involved.”
Further Reading:
| Den of Lions by Terry Anderson. |  |
Click Here to Reserve the book from the NIOGA Library System |
| Forgotten: A Sister's Struggle to Save Terry Anderson, America's Longest-Hostage by Peggy Say and Peter Knobler |  |
Click Here to Reserve the book from the NIOGA Library System |
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