Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. and Dorothy J. Peterson

Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. and Dorothy J. Peterson

Retired Colonel USAF, Donald Peterson, entered Superior State Teachers College (now UW-Superior) in 1947 and graduated in 1951. While at the College, he participated in the Teacher Education program and student taught the eighth and ninth grades on campus at the McCaskill Junior High School. He had fond memories of McCaskill, the teachers, and the kids, as he was a student there from kindergarten through ninth grade. In total, he spent 14 significant developing years at the UW-Superior campus. He passed away in 2019.

When Retired Colonel Peterson graduated from Superior State Teachers College he was in the second class to receive a commission through the AFROTC program. After commissioning in 1951, during the Korean War, he entered the Air Force and served 27 years. His assignments, other than many schools attended, were in four areas: a pilot on transport and bomber aircraft, engineering assignments as an aeronautical engineer, systems program officer, and deputy director for testing. He also had staff duties in three major headquarters, including four years on the Air Staff, Headquarters USAF, Washington D.C., and AFROTC duties.

Retired Colonel Peterson attended the University of Michigan for two years, obtaining a degree in aeronautical engineering. He was Chairman of the AFROTC program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, teaching the underclassmen.