Dr. Donald Peterson

About Donald Peterson, PhD

Donald R. Peterson (1923-2007), Professor Emeritus, served on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1952 to 1974. In the programs he directed, he set the highest attainable standards of quality in preparation for the practice of psychology. Dr. Peterson became Director of the Illinois Psychological Clinic in 1963 and Director of Clinical Training in 1964. In the latter position, he organized the first doctor of psychology program in the country, admitting the first class of students in 1968. 

In 1975, Dr. Peterson became the first dean of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he remained until and beyond retirement in 1989. He was the only psychologist to direct a research-oriented, scientist-practitioner PhD program (University of Illinois, 1964-1972), a professional, PsyD program in an academic department (University of Illinois, 1968-1972), and a professional school of psychology in a major research university (Rutgers University, 1975-1989).

 Among other honors, he received:

• The APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Practice of Psychology (1983) 
• The APA Award for Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology (1989)
• The APF's Rosalee G. Weiss Award for Outstanding Contributions to Psychology and 
• The first NCSPP Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education in Professional Psychology (1997). 

In his writing, Dr. Peterson established a firm intellectual foundation for the education of professional psychologists. His journal publications include research reports on personality structure, children’s behavior disorders, and interpersonal relationships, but his articles on the education of professional psychologists are probably best known.  He was author, co-author, or co-editor of several books, including:

•  The Clinical Study of Social Behavior (1968, reissued in 2004) 
•  Close Relationships (1983, reissued in 2002)
•  Educating Professional Psychologists: History and Guiding Conception (1997, now available online) and 
• Twelve Years of Correspondence with Paul Meehl: Tough Notes from a Gentle Genius (2005).

Upon Dean Peterson’s retirement, Rutgers GSAPP administrators and faculty established the “Peterson Prize” in his honor. Funds for the award are derived from proceeds of a gift by the late Luella Buros in honor of her husband, Oscar Krisen Buros.  According to the statement that established the award, “the purpose of the Peterson Prize is to present an award to an alumna/alumnus who has made outstanding contributions to professional psychology. Such contributions may include innovations in service delivery, education or training, service to underserved populations, and other creative professional efforts that enhance the general welfare.”

Roger Peterson, Dean Peterson's son and author of How to Handle a Crisis: Meditations of a Crisis Counselor, donates a portion of the sales of each book to support continuation of the Peterson Prize. The book provides anyone who is going through a difficult time a set of simple, enduring concepts to help one cope to the best of their ability. It is based on over two decades of the author's work in the field of crisis intervention.

Although Dean Peterson was a fine empirical psychologist and stressed the importance of professionals knowing and applying scientific data, he emphasized that professional practice was about the uniqueness of the client – be it an individual, a group, or an organization. He touched all who knew him and left a prodigious legacy for the field of professional psychology.