Esther Peterson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Peterson in 1962 | |
| 2ndDirector of the Office of Consumer Affairs | |
| In office January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Virginia Knauer |
| Succeeded by | Virginia Knauer |
| 1stSpecial Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs | |
| In office January 3, 1964 – May 1, 1967 | |
| President | Lyndon Johnson |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Executive Vice Chairperson of thePresidential Commission on the Status of Women | |
| In office January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| 4th Director of theUnited States Women's Bureau | |
| In office January 20, 1961 – January 3, 1964 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson |
| Preceded by | Alice K. Leopold |
| Succeeded by | Mary Dublin Keyserling |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Esther Eggertsen (1906-12-09)December 9, 1906 Provo, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | December 20, 1997(1997-12-20) (aged 91) Washington |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University(1927) Teachers College, Columbia University(1930) |
Esther Eggertsen Peterson (December 9, 1906 – December 20, 1997) was an Americanconsumer andwomen's advocate.
The daughter ofDanish immigrants, Esther Eggertsen grew up in a family who were members of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints inProvo, Utah.[1] She graduated fromBrigham Young University in 1927 with a degree in physical education, and a master's fromTeachers College, Columbia University, in 1930.[2][3] She held several teaching positions in the 1930s, including one at the innovativeBryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry, which brought milliners, telephone operators and garment workers onto the campus.[4]
She moved toNew York City where she married Oliver Peterson. In 1932, the two moved toBoston, where she taught at The Winsor School and volunteered at theYWCA.[5]
In 1938, Peterson became a paid organizer for theAmerican Federation of Teachers and traveled around New England. In 1944, Peterson became the first lobbyist for theNational Labor Relations Board inWashington, D.C. In 1948, theState Department offered Peterson's husband a position as a diplomat inSweden. The family returned to Washington, D.C., in 1957 and Peterson joined theIndustrial Union Department of theAFL–CIO, becoming its first woman lobbyist.[6]
She was Assistant Secretary ofLabor and Director of theUnited States Women's Bureau under fellow Bostonian PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.[7][8] In 1964, PresidentLyndon Johnson named Peterson to the newly created post of Special Assistant forConsumer Affairs.[9] She would later serve as PresidentJimmy Carter's Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs.
Peterson was also Vice President for Consumer Affairs atGiant Food Corporation, where she led an initiative to introduce the first nutrition labels in 1971, and was president of theNational Consumers League.[10]
She received thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 1981.[11] Peterson was elected to theCommon Cause National Governing Board in 1982. In 1990, the American Council on Consumer Interests created the Esther Peterson Consumer Policy Forum lectureship, which is presented annually at the council's conference.[12] She was named a delegate of theUnited Nations as aUNESCO representative in 1993. In that same year, Peterson was inducted into theNational Women's Hall of Fame.[13]
Peterson died on December 20, 1997.[4]
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