Edwin L. Peterson family papers, 1861-1958

Dr. Edwin (Eddie) L. Peterson was born in Provo, Utah, in 1915. He served in the Army and Army Air Corps during WWII, attaining the rank of Major. Toward the end of the war, he returned to the United States and served as an Information and Education officer. Edwin worked on a Master's degree at the University of California, Berkeley and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from UCLA. Edwin later taught geography at Utah State University and helped found the Geography Department.

This collection contains documents related to Edwin’s family and its connections to the Loose, Patten, and Peterson families. His parents were Preston Geddes and Erma Loose Peterson; both Edwin and his father played football for USU. Erma’s mother and father were Mary Jane Patten Loose and Charles Edwin Loose. Charles was heavily involved in the mining industry in California, particularly in the mining town of Bodie. Mary Jane’s parents were George Patten and Mary Jane Nelson. Edwin’s father’s brother, Elmer G. Peterson, was president of USAC from 1916 to 1944.