Pete, who for many years coordinated the Charles Snowden Media Internship Program for the UO School of Journalism and Communication, passed away on December 3, 2023, of acute myeloid leukemia, a fast-growing cancer that was diagnosed only in November 2023. I first met Pete in 2006 when he was hired by the UO School of Journalism and Communication. We would come to share an office for more than 12 years.
Ralph (Pete) Peterson was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 3, 1944, the fourth of five children to Evelyn M. Trepanier and Ralph G. Peterson. After graduation from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, Pete attended Eastern Michigan University with the intention of becoming a high school English teacher. In 1966, he earned a BA in English and, as an ROTC graduate, a commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Pete traveled to Oregon in 1968 to be near his high school sweetheart and enrolled at the University of Oregon, earning a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Pete and his sweetheart, Chilton, married before he left for Vietnam in 1969 to serve as a Medical Service Officer in the 4th Medical Battalion. Following his honorable discharge in 1971, Pete joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW).
The newlyweds returned to Oregon from California in 1971, when he accepted a teaching position at Lane Community College, initially in speech and communication and later in journalism. The following year, Pete earned a second master's degree in journalism from the UO. At LCC, Pete developed a penchant for teaching media law. He loved teaching and serving as advisor to the student newspaper, The Torch.
After 32 years, Pete retired from LCC. But it wasn't long before he missed the student contact and accepted a position in 2006 coordinating the Charles Snowden Media Internship program at the UO School of Journalism and Communication before retiring a second time in 2014. Pete, a man of many talents, continued to pursue his passions as a writer and thespian, and participated in church choirs and the Eugene Concert Choir.
For over a decade, Pete and I shared an office with about a half-dozen j-school instructors in the UO SOJC. Dubbed "The Biullpen," our office was a lively, action-packed venue, with students coming and going at all times of the day. Because of Pete's seniority compared to the rest of us, we designated Pete as "The Boss." He loved it. Pete was one of the kindest, most respectful people I have ever met.
Pete was exceedingly polite in an old-school sort of way, yet he also had a wily sense of humor that everyone loved. When we all temporarily moved to the UO Annex during a major remodel of Allen Hall, Pete chose the desk farthest way from mine. "Sorry, John, but your voice projects to the back row," he quipped with a wry smile. Pete Peterson was a gentleman, a scholar and a classy individual. I will remember him fondly.
