Peterson, Martha, 1916-, American educator, b. Jamestown, Kans., grad. Univ. of Kansas (A.B., 1937; Ph.D., 1959). She served as instructor in mathematics, assistant dean of women, and dean of women at the Univ. of Kansas. In 1956 she became dean of women at the Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison and later special assistant to the president of that university. She was named university dean for student affairs in 1963. From 1967 to 1975 she served as president of Barnard College; she then became president of Beloit College until her retirement from academic life in 1981.

Peterson, Roger Tory, 1908-96, American ornithologist, writer, and illustrator, b. Jamestown, N.Y. He became famous with his best-selling pocket-sized Field Guide to the Birds (1934) and is known for his bold, precise drawings and paintings and his clear, succinct descriptive prose. He wrote or edited more than 50 books, many on birds, many on other facets of the natural world. Through his books and his Institute of Natural History (founded 1986 in his birthplace), Peterson was extremely influential in popularizing birding and in heightening awareness of environmental issues.

(born Aug. 28, 1908, Jamestown, N.Y., U.S.—died July 28, 1996, Old Lyme, Conn.) U.S. ornithologist. He started drawing birds in high school. His Field Guide to the Birds (1934), illustrated with paintings that stressed the features that best identified a species in the field, greatly stimulated public interest in bird study in the U.S. and Europe. Many other guides followed. More responsible than any other person for fostering a widespread awareness of birds by the American public, he received such awards as the American Ornithologists' Union's Brewster Medal (1944) and the World Wildlife Fund's Gold Medal (1972).

Learn more about Peterson, Roger Tory with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Aug. 28, 1908, Jamestown, N.Y., U.S.—died July 28, 1996, Old Lyme, Conn.) U.S. ornithologist. He started drawing birds in high school. His Field Guide to the Birds (1934), illustrated with paintings that stressed the features that best identified a species in the field, greatly stimulated public interest in bird study in the U.S. and Europe. Many other guides followed. More responsible than any other person for fostering a widespread awareness of birds by the American public, he received such awards as the American Ornithologists' Union's Brewster Medal (1944) and the World Wildlife Fund's Gold Medal (1972).

Learn more about Peterson, Roger Tory with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Peterson is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 372 at the 2000 census.

History

Peterson was established in 1856 by the Kirchners. The Peterson Patriot has been in print since 1880. The Peterson sesquicentennial was celebrated August 3-5, 2006.

Geography

Peterson is located at (42.918490, -95.341502). It is situated near the Little Sioux River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 372 people, 181 households, and 106 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,208.6 people per square mile (463.3/km²). There were 200 housing units at an average density of 649.8/sq mi (249.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 181 households out of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 25.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 30.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $35,577. Males had a median income of $28,500 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,932. About 2.9% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links