In Memoriam: Roger Tory Peterson, 1908-1996
In Memoriam The Auk 115(2):465-469, 1998 IN MEMORIAM: ROGER TORY PETERSON, 1908-1996 SUSAN RONEY DRENNAN NationalAudubon Society, 700 Broadway,New York,New York10003, USA ROGER TORY PETERSON,1908-1996 (Photographtaken in 1994by SusanRoney Drennan) When RogerTory Petersondied on 28 July and joined a Junior Audubon Club. Like so 1996, he was one month shy of his eighty- many kids, he had a newspaperroute as a eighthbirthday. He was born on 28 August sourceof small money.Unlike most,however, 1908 to immigrantsCharles Gustav Peterson, Roger planned his route so that he passedas from Varmland, Sweden, and Henrietta Bader many differenthabitats and feedersas possible Peterson, from a little town near Breslau, Ger- when he got up at dawn to deliver TheJames- many (now Poland).The placewas Jamestown, townMorning Post. He thriftily savedhis pen- southwestern New York, at the eastern end of nies and dimes,and when he had enough,he Lake Chautauqua,about 25 miles from Lake boughta bird guide by ChesterReed, a four- Erie.As a youngchild he becameentranced by power LeMaire opera glassfrom an advertise- the beautyof natureand becamea practicing ment in Bird-Lore(ancestor of Audubonmaga- naturalistat the ageof eleven,when he wasin- zine), and his first camera,a four-by-fiveplate troducedto birds in his 7th grade classroom model Eastman Primo Number 9. 465 466 In Memoriam [Auk, Vol. 115 In 1925,when Rogergraduated from high with membersof the BronxCounty Bird Club, school,family moneywas scarce.Just after his a club that collectedno dues and had no by- 17thbirthday, he took a job at the Union-Na- laws, constitution, newsletter, committees, or tional Furniture Factory in Jamestown,under permanentmeeting place.
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