North to the Future

Alumnus reflects on the past 50 Years in Alaska and finds his purpose outside of the lower 48.

As a young boy growing up in Chicago, Arthur Peterson '63 had great plans to become a lawyer, but he could never have imagined the opportunity, career and fulfilling life he would find in Alaska.

Art was a self-proclaimed "big city kid" and felt at home in Detroit during Law School. He enjoyed his classes and extracurriculars, including several theater productions and a brief stint on the WSU wrestling team. To de-stress between classes and exams, Art would take long walks around the city to clear his mind and recenter.

After graduating with his J.D. at 23, Art returned to Chicago to begin his legal career. He had fallen for a nurse named Carolyn who dreamed of moving to Alaska. After deciding that they were too young to get married, they broke up and Carolyn fulfilled her dream of moving north. Art quickly realized the error of his ways and flew to Alaska to propose. They initially discussed remaining in Chicago but a weekend in "The Last Frontier" was all it took and Art was hooked on the pure wilderness and relaxed attitude of the residents.

"I never anticipated living in a wilderness state like Alaska and it was my wife who got me here."

Over the last 55 years, Art has embraced his new home and helped shape Alaska into the state it is today. In 1966, shortly after arriving in Alaska, Art began work at the Alaska Legislative Affairs Agency in Juneau. The following year he was appointed as the Alaska revisor of statutes. During his time with the agency, Art wrote the first edition of Alaska's Drafting Manual for Administrative Regulations. He would go on to write the next ten editions to "make legal writing user-friendly and to facilitate the public's access to its government."

"It was really exciting to be here in Alaska, just six years after statehood - court decisions were new, legislation was new…so many things were brand new."

In 1973, Art was appointed as the Assistant Attorney General and regulations attorney for the Alaska Department of Law where he handled a variety of court cases, developed with a colleague the first edition of the state's Hearing Officer's Manual, supervised the statewide Legislation/Regulations section, and advised the governor.

Not only was Art influential at the legislative level, but he was also committed to his community. In 1967, Art helped found the Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) - a non-profit organization that provides free legal representation to low-income Alaskans - serving over 31 years on the board and four terms as president. He also helped form the Alaska Pro Bono Program, Inc., a non-profit that handles overflow cases from the ALSC.

In 1975, Art was appointed by the governor as a commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. After serving under five governors, he was elected Alaska's first life member and remains by far, the longest-serving commissioner for the state-supported organization.

Art's continued commitment to Alaska has not gone without recognition. In 2004, he was awarded the Jay Rabinowitz Public Service Award, given to an "individual whose life work has demonstrated a commitment to public service in the State of Alaska." He also received a legislation citation recognizing his work in legal services through the Alaska legislature which was approved unanimously through both houses.

Art and Carolyn enjoyed over 30 years together in their beloved Alaska before her passing in 1997. Since 2001, Art has been splitting his time between Alaska and England to be with his partner Ann Chapman.

When asked about his advice for current students: "Don't give up! Adopt for your own life some reasonable principles - think about those less fortunate… and be both sympathetic and to the extent that you can feel it, empathetic."