COAS dean leaves her mark

The lights at the University Club reflected off champagne glasses, as guests tasted tempting refreshments. Laughter was heard from all corners of the room.\nDespite the festivities, the mood of this particular reception was bittersweet. Its attendees were saying good-bye to their friend and colleague M. Jeanne Peterson, who retired as COAS executive associate dean after more than eight years in the position.\nOn Tuesday evening, Peterson's co-workers gathered to congratulate her on completing 30 years of service to IU. \nPeterson earned an A.B. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1966. She became a pioneer in the study of British women's history after the publication of her 1967 research paper "The Victorian Governess: Status Incongruence in a Changing Age," which strongly influenced the field during the 70s and 80s. \nFirst appointed to IU in 1971 while completing her doctoral thesis at Berkeley, Peterson came to Bloomington as an assistant professor of history, and went on to co-found the Women's Studies Program (now the Gender Studies Program) during the 1972-73 academic year. While serving as director of graduate studies for the History Department in 1987, Peterson obtained full professor status and took over as the departmental chair. She stayed on as head of the History Department until 1993, when she became the first woman to fill the shoes of COAS executive associate dean. \nGender Studies Program Director Judith Allen praised Peterson as both an administrator and scholar.\n"She always felt that the job of a dean was to bring out the best in people working under her," she said. "She is a great inspiration to us all, especially in the way she has branched out in her research from social history to women's history, and now gender and cultural history."\nStephanie Sanders, associate director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, said Peterson is one of the institute's strongest advocates.\n"Jeanne was a strong supporter of the Kinsey Institute as an international resource for scholars," Sanders said. "She has been a terrific mentor and advocate for women and minorities on campus, and the fact that she was very well-liked and so loved says a lot about her style of management."\nGraduate School Dean George Walker served as master of ceremonies.\n"When Jeanne was the chair of the History Department, I was the Physics Department chair, and she was considered the best chair out of all the others," he said. \nLloyd recalled the first time she heard about Peterson.\n"When I left my previous university and told my colleagues there that I was heading to IU, one person said, 'I've been to IU and I met a wonderful man there. His name was Herman B. Wells,'" she said. "Then another person said, 'I've been to IU and I met a wonderful woman there. Her name was Jeanne Peterson.'" \nAllen and Moya Andrews, dean of the faculties and vice chancellor for academic affairs, presented a special certificate to Peterson that named her founding professor emeritus of gender studies.\nWhen Peterson approached the microphone, she expressed her gratitude to her colleagues and explained that her presence would still be felt at IU.\n"I'm losing the pattern of life I've had for 30 years, but I know you'll be here for me as I'll be here for you," she said.\nPeterson may have retired, but she will not be absent from the buildings she once roamed. She announced she would continue to supervise doctoral students who are writing their dissertations and teach individual readings courses for graduate students. \nIn addition, Peterson has two book projects in the works. One, tentatively titled "Victorian Body Parts," will explore medical practices related to gender in the Victorian Era. The second will follow her previously published work "Family, Love, and Work in the Lives of Victorian Gentlewomen," in which she wrote in-depth about the lives of the women in the Paget family, an English family that lived during the Victorian Era. The follow-up will focus on the male Pagets.\nPeterson expressed the feelings that ran through her body as she entered a new chapter of her life.\n"When you retire, your status changes," she said. "It's the same as when you graduate from high school or college. It's kind of scary, but very exciting too"