Donald Peterson was born August 11, 1931 in Siren, WI. He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 1955. In 1956 he joined the NDSU faculty as an instructor of physics. In 1959 he received a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at NDSU. That same year he became an Electrical Engineering instructor at NDSU. He was appointed to be the initial University Computer Center Director at NDSU in 1961; a position he held until his retirement in 1998. He became an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering in 1965. Over the years Peterson's job was to help steer NDSU through the swiftly moving current of computer technology. In the mid 1970s, the North Dakota Board of Higher Education began planning a computer network to ensure that all state educational institutions had equivalent computer capacities. Peterson was instrumental in the effort to make NDSU the center for academic applications for the statewide computer network. Through four decades Peterson worked to expand the facility of the University Computer Center, as well as working in conjunction with others to write proposals for grants from various institutions. He was also involved with the formation of the Industrial Agricultural Communications Center (IACC).
From the description of Donald Peterson collection, 1962-1988. (North Dakota State University Library). WorldCat record id: 694526068
