Dear Petersen Residents,

February 18 marks the 95th birthday of our namesake, Mary Louise Petersen. What makes this moment extra special is that she is our only living namesake among the residence halls! Mary Louise serves as a legacy in the history of Iowa and her contributions have helped shape the University into what it is today. Below are some of her achievements:

• Graduated summa cum laude in 1951 from the UI College of Education with a bachelor’s degree in science education
• Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and served as president of her class and president of the Association of University Women
• Appointed to the Iowa Board of Regents in 1969 and served as board president from 1973 to 1981
• Member of the UI Foundation Board of Directors from 1991 to 2006 and is now a lifetime honorary member
• Co-chaired the university’s $1 billion Good, Better, Best capital campaign (1999 to 2005) and the Old Capitol Museum campaign
• Received the state of Iowa’s Distinguished Service Award (1983) and is a member of the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame
• In 1997, she donated her papers to the Iowa Women’s Archives located in the UI Libraries
• In spring 2013, the UI awarded Petersen an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree

 You can find more information about her contributions here: A Family Tradition of Giving: Mary Louise Petersen

In honor of our namesake’s birthday, we will celebrate in several ways:

• First, all residents with February birthdays will be receiving Mary Louise door decs.
• Second, Petersen’s hall association, People of Petersen, will be mailing a birthday card to Mary Louise on behalf of the community.
• Lastly, Blaire Thompson, hall coordinator and Gabin Kundwa, assistant hall coordinator, will be handing out birthday cake in the Petersen lobby at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 19 to celebrate!

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the Petersen Hall staff in advance at uhd-petersen-hc@uiowa.edu.

Kind Regards,

Blaire Thompson, M.Ed., hall coordinator
Gabin Kundwa, assistant hall coordinator