" I believe in sport, live by sport and teach sport," wrote Dr. Patricia Peterson, thereby providing a terse description of a colorful and varied career dedicated to the advancement of athletics. A professor and chairperson of the Women's Health and Physical Education Department at Oswego since 1967, Peterson has remained one of the most active women's officials in the Northeast since she earned her first rating in basketball in 1938. Through the years, she officiated at the first high school basketball state championship in Massachusetts, at the first five New York State AIAW field hockey tournaments, and at a trio of Eastern AIAW field hockey tourneys. She has also officiated many volleyball and softball contests.
Peterson, a native of Albany, earned a bachelor's degree in 1948 and a master's degree in 1952 from Cortland. Later she earned a Ph.D. in physical education from the University of Southern California. While a Cortland undergraduate, Peterson was a three-year member of the women's class teams in field hockey, soccer, speedball, softball and basketball. By the close of her junior year, Peterson had accumulated the highest number of athletic points among her classmates. Peterson also participated as a member of the Cortland State Ski Club and was president of the Theta Phi Alpha sorority.
Her teaching career started in the Hudson (N.Y.) public school system in 1948. She also taught in the Bethlehem Central School District before going to Cazenovia College in 1952. There, she directed the physical education program, coached field hockey and tennis and taught education courses until 1955. During the next five years, Peterson was an assistant professor of physical education at the University of Vermont. She coached the UVM women's ski and softball units and was advisor to the women's recreation association. From 1960 until 1966, Peterson served as an instructor in physical education at Smith College.
In addition to writing scholarly publications on the history of skiing in the United States, Peterson was a member of the coaching staff at the 1972 FISU Winter Games. At the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, she worked at the cross country and biathlon venues. Peterson was a Syracuse Organizing Committee volunteer at the 1981 National Sports Festival and served as a "troubleshooter" overseeing 26 venues and 34 sports. A member of the Ski Hall of Fame Committee, Peterson was selected to give the Officials' Oath at opening ceremonies of the 1982 Empire State Winter Games. She remains active in international competition as a volunteer official in the luge, cross country, biathlon and ski jumping events.
Peterson is the University of Southern California Alumni Scholarship Interview Program chairperson for Upstate New York.
UPDATE: Peterson passed away on December 18, 2022, at age 96.
Albany Times Union story after Peterson's passing
