James A. Peterson

Class of 1934: Family counseling

James A. Peterson was a clergyman who left the pulpit to become a sociology professor and gerontologist who discussed marriage and family problems for many years on Art Linkletter’s CBS television series “House Party.”

He helped advance the concept of marriage counseling as a profession and the importance of the study of the aging.

Peterson was born May 11, 1913, and was from Birnamwood, Wisconsin. At Ripon College, he majored in sociology and participated in Crimson, College Days, Scribbler, a literary supplement of College Days, and debate. He earned a degree of special distinction, order of debate and oratory, and was a student debate coach. He also captained the tennis team and was on the boxing team.

After earning a bachelor of divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1938, he served as a minister at Loda Congregational Church in Loda, Illinois, assistant minister at the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and minister of Manhattan Beach Community Church.

He went on to earn a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Southern California in 1950, a doctor of humane letters from Rocky Mountain College in 1960 and a doctor of divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1983.

He taught sociology at USC from 1951 until his retirement in 1979 and served as chairman of its sociology department from 1960 to 1963. He was founder and director of the Marriage and Family Counseling Training Program, founder of the Cortese Institute, and co-founder and director of the USC Emeriti Center. He was acting director of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology from 1977 to 1979.

An internationally recognized expert on marital and family counseling and aging, Peterson appeared weekly on Linkletter’s show from 1960 to 1971. He also was the host of the daily CBS radio show “Conflict in Marriage” in 1966 and a CBS television show, “For Better or for Worse,” from 1964 to 1965.

He wrote four books about marriage and family relations and produced three educational films: “The Medicine Man” for the American Medical Association, “Journey’s End” and “Grieving: Suddenly Alone,” about death.

“Good teaching is teaching that edges the student into truth and moves them farther along,” he said.

Ripon College presented him with the Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1984.

An interview with Peterson, conducted by Linkletter in 1986, can be accessed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MN9eDTTRNg.

Peterson died April 11, 1992, at age 78.