University of Minnesota Athletics
Former Communication Director Passes Away
7/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Former University of Minnesota sports information director Bob Peterson passed away last night after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 83.
Peterson retired from Minnesota in 1994, after serving his post for 18 years. He was knows to all as "BP" and he routinely went above and beyond the call of duty to publicize and help promote Gopher student- athletes, coaches and staff.
He served as president of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in 1977-78, and received his profession's ultimate honor when selected by his peers for the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1997, Peterson was honored at the All-American Football Foundation's Banquet of Champions, along with former Gopher greats Murray Warmath, Bronko Nagurski and George Franck. Peterson was inducted into the "M" Club Hall of Fame in 2005.
Peterson came to Minnesota in 1975 after 10 years as the sports information director at St. Cloud State. Prior to that, he taught English and journalism for nine years at the high school level and was also a sports writer and sports editor.
During his 28 years in sports information, Peterson received more than 20 citations for his excellence in the field of publications from CoSIDA. While a high school teacher, he received two Newspaper Fund Fellowships form the Wall Street Journal for excellence in teaching. He also won three Minnesota Newspaper Association awards when in that field in greater Minnesota.
Peterson attended Hamline University, received his B.S. degree from St. Cloud State and his M.S. degree from North Dakota. He also did post graduate work at Syracuse under his Newspaper Fund Fellowship.
Peterson was an active member of CoSIDA, the Football Writers of America and the Basketball Writers of America. He was also involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee as a press liaison officer during several Summer Olympic Festivals and the Pan American Games.
In 1994 when he retired, Peterson was only the third full-time men's sports information director at Minnesota. Les Etter became the first in 1930. Otis Dypwick assumed those duties in 1944 and held the position until Peterson joined the staff in 1975.
