Val Peterson

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title: "Val Peterson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1903-births", "1983-deaths", "20th-century-american-politicians", "ambassadors-of-the-united-states-to-denmark", "ambassadors-of-the-united-states-to-finland", "lutherans-from-nebraska", "american-people-of-danish-descent", "united-states-army-air-forces-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "danish-american-culture-in-nebraska", "eisenhower-administration-cabinet-members", "republican-party-governors-of-nebraska", "people-from-oakland,-nebraska", "united-states-army-air-forces-officers", "university-of-nebraska–lincoln-alumni", "20th-century-lutherans", "united-states-army-colonels", "diplomats-from-nebraska"] description: "American politician and diplomat" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Peterson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician and diplomat ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Val Peterson
image	Val Peterson.jpg
office	United States Ambassador to Finland
president	Richard Nixon
term_start	July 14, 1969
term_end	March 23, 1973
predecessor	Tyler Thompson
successor	John Krehbiel
office1	United States Ambassador to Denmark
president1	Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
term_start1	August 22, 1957
term_end1	February 21, 1961
predecessor1	Robert Coe
successor1	William McCormick Blair Jr.
office2	Administrator of the Federal Civil Defense Administration
president2	Dwight D. Eisenhower
term_start2	February 19, 1953
term_end2	June 14, 1957
Acting: February 19, 1953 – March 4, 1953
predecessor2	James Jeremiah Wadsworth (Acting)
successor2	Lewis Berry (Acting)
office3	Chair of the National Governors Association
term_start3	September 30, 1951
term_end3	June 29, 1952
predecessor3	Frank Lausche
successor3	Allan Shivers
order4	26th Governor of Nebraska
lieutenant4	Robert B. Crosby
Charles J. Warner
term_start4	January 9, 1947
term_end4	January 8, 1953
predecessor4	Dwight Griswold
successor4	Robert B. Crosby
birth_name	Frederick Valdemar Erastus Peterson
birth_date
birth_place	Oakland, Nebraska, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Fremont, Nebraska, U.S.
party	Republican
education	Wayne State College (BA)
University of Nebraska (MA)
::

| name = Val Peterson | image = Val Peterson.jpg | office = United States Ambassador to Finland | president = Richard Nixon | term_start = July 14, 1969 | term_end = March 23, 1973 | predecessor = Tyler Thompson | successor = John Krehbiel | office1 = United States Ambassador to Denmark | president1 = Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy | term_start1 = August 22, 1957 | term_end1 = February 21, 1961 | predecessor1 = Robert Coe | successor1 = William McCormick Blair Jr. | office2 = Administrator of the Federal Civil Defense Administration | president2 = Dwight D. Eisenhower | term_start2 = February 19, 1953 | term_end2 = June 14, 1957 Acting: February 19, 1953 – March 4, 1953 | predecessor2 = James Jeremiah Wadsworth (Acting) | successor2 = Lewis Berry (Acting) | office3 = Chair of the National Governors Association | term_start3 = September 30, 1951 | term_end3 = June 29, 1952 | predecessor3 = Frank Lausche | successor3 = Allan Shivers | order4 = 26th Governor of Nebraska | lieutenant4 = Robert B. Crosby Charles J. Warner | term_start4 = January 9, 1947 | term_end4 = January 8, 1953 | predecessor4 = Dwight Griswold | successor4 = Robert B. Crosby | birth_name = Frederick Valdemar Erastus Peterson | birth_date = | birth_place = Oakland, Nebraska, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Fremont, Nebraska, U.S. | party = Republican | education = Wayne State College (BA) University of Nebraska (MA) Frederick Valdemar Erastus Peterson (July 18, 1903 – October 17, 1983), also known as Val Peterson, was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 26th governor of Nebraska from 1947 to 1953, as director of the Federal Civil Defense Administration from 1953 to 1957, U.S. ambassador to Denmark from 1957 to 1961, and U.S. Ambassador to Finland from 1969 to 1973.

Early life and education

Peterson was born in Oakland, Nebraska, the son of Henry C. Peterson and Hermanda (Swanberg) Peterson. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State Teachers College and a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Nebraska. Following 1933, Peterson maintained his permanent residence in Elgin, Nebraska.

Career

Peterson worked as a teacher, school administrator, and newspaper man. He was the Elgin superintendent of schools and was the publisher of The Elgin Review for ten years. During World War II he served as lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Air Forces.

Peterson first entered politics as the campaign manager for the Hugh Butler 1940 U.S. senatorial bid. He also was the administrative assistant and secretary to Governor Dwight Griswold from 1941 to 1942. Peterson next secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor in November 1946. He was reelected to a second term in 1948, and to a third term in 1950.

During his tenure, the Missouri River basin development was endorsed and highway revenue initiatives were sought. Also during Peterson's term, he chaired the State Governors Conference and presided over the Council of State Governments in 1952. In December 1951, Governor Peterson appointed Fred Andrew Seaton to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Kenneth S. Wherry.

Peterson served in the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration as director of the Federal Civil Defense Administration from 1953 to 1957. As Federal Civil Defense Administrator, Peterson is reputed to have speculated about the possibility of creating a cobalt doomsday bomb. Peterson served as U.S. ambassador to Denmark, from 1957 to 1961 and U.S. ambassador to Finland, from 1969 to 1973.

Death

Peterson died October 17, 1983, in Fremont, Nebraska, reportedly of respiratory failure following a struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He is interred at Oakdale Cemetery, Oakdale, Nebraska.

Legacy

The Peterson Fine Arts building at his alma mater, Wayne State College, was named in his honor. A variety of autographed photographs representing his political career (particularly a full Eisenhower Cabinet photo with autographs of each member, as well as a personally inscribed color photograph of Richard Nixon) were on display for many years at the Wayne State library. However, the photos began to deteriorate due to exposure, and had to be removed; they are still in the possession of the college.

References

Further sources

• "Peterson, (Frederick) Val(demar Erastus)" in Current Biography 1949.

References

1. [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.94702e711043a03e9d28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=2ed484ba6b3a7010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=1d2bbe8f5f392010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=print ''Nebraska Governor Frederick Valdemar Erastus (Val) Peterson'' (Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States)]
2. {{usurped
3. [http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/nuclear/1chap.htm Nuclear Holocausts: Atomic War in Fiction by Paul Brians] {{webarchive. link. (2008-05-11)
4. (18 October 1983). "Frederick Peterson, 80; Was U.S. Ambassador". The New York Times.

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