Family, friends, and about 1,000 guests witnessed the presentation of the Gates Volunteer Service Award to Donald E. Petersen at the Third Annual Recognition Gala recently. Regent Daniel J. Evans presented the award, named for the William Gates family and given annually to recognize outstanding volunteers who have advanced the 91探花through dedication and personal involvement.
Petersen launched his career with a 91探花degree in mechanical engineering in 1946 and retired in 1990 as chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company. His student days at the UW, Petersen said in accepting the award, 鈥渞eally did get me very well started 鈥� though I didn鈥檛 know it at the time 鈥� toward a life I鈥檝e truly enjoyed. I鈥檓 just flabbergasted that I鈥檓 being honored tonight.鈥�
Petersen began volunteering at the 91探花in 1979. Later, as National Chair of the Annual Giving Campaign, he created the President鈥檚 Fund for Excellence, a University-wide source of discretionary support, and oversaw the quadrupling of private support to the UW. In 1987, he co-chaired the Campaign for Washington with John Nordstrom and Gerald Grinstein.
Petersen became a founding director and first chair of the 91探花Foundation when it was established in 1988. He continues supporting the 91探花Foundation as an active volunteer involved with Campaign UW: Creating Futures, as co-chair of the College of Arts & Sciences campaign efforts, and as a generous donor whose giving has supported faculty, students, various University programs, and the 91探花campus.
After the 1992 conclusion of the Campaign for Washington, 鈥淧etersen could have 鈥榬etired鈥� from his voluntary service to the UW,鈥� David Hodge, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. 鈥淚nstead, he assumed a leadership role in post-campaign planning so that private support would not diminish.鈥�
Petersen鈥檚 continuing service reflects his deep commitment to education. 鈥淗e is a great believer in lifelong learning,鈥� said his niece, Laura Peterson, vice president for international relations at The Boeing Company.
鈥淸He believes that] education is an opportunity to 鈥� shape lives, and he likes that he can help make a difference.鈥�
To learn more about the Gates Volunteer Service Award and past recipients, visit