friday, may 1. 1931
page 2
daily nebraskan
Vietnam issues moved professor to try politics
By Tom Prentiss
UNL ecnomics professor
Wallace Peterson would like
to have only two profes
sions. One is that of college
professor, which he has
been for 30 years. The
other is that of U.S. senator,
a job he has been a candi
date for twice.
Peterson said he became
active in Democratic Party
politics as opposition to the
Vietnam War intensified.
The Vietnam War was
the devisive issue at the
Democratic County Con
vention in 1968, he said.
After his election to the
platform committee for the
first time, Peterson present
ed the anti-war minority
plank to the convention.
Although he was heavily
booed and the plank lost,
Peterson said it was an 'eye
opening experience.
Democratic nomination
The experience encour
aged him to consider run
ning for the Democratic
nomination for U.S. sena
tor, he said. Incumbent Re
publican Roman Ilruska had
no clear cut challenger, so
Peterson thought his
chances were as good as
anyone else's.
Although Peterson
thought he would get the
nomination, he really didn't
think he could beat Ilruska,
he said. Still, he thought
that as the nominee he
would have an advantage in
two years when the seat of wouldn't run.
Republican Carl Curtis was
up for re-election.
Gene Pbkorny, a former
worker for Democratic Pres
idential Candidate
Eugene McCarthy in 1968,
helped to organize Peter
son's campaign.
Pokorny later went on to
be George McGovern's Ne
braska campaign manager
for the Democratic candi
date's ill-fated 1972 cam
paign. Peterson said his group
raised about $10,000 and
appeared to be the front
runner for the nomination.
He said his only real opposi
tion would have been form
er Gov. Frank Morrison,
who had already said he
Frantic drive
' But on the last day to
file for the primary,
Morrison changed his mind
and entered the race.
Peterson said Morrison
drove frantically from
Omaha to Lincoln so he
could meet the deadline.
Morrison filed just "a min
ute or so" before the dead
line and Peterson said he
then knew he would lose
the primary.
With the former two
term governor in the race,
Peterson polled close to 25
percent of the vote in a
losing effort.
Peterson said he thought
he still had a chance to
make a good race against
Curtis two years later, but
his plans fell through.
That good chance drifted
away as the political winds
blew Scottsbhiff Sen.
Terry Carpenter from the
Republican to the Demo
cratic fold.
Carpenter, who was to
make party changing an art
form, then became the
front-runner.
In his second run for the
nomination, Peterson lost
again, but this time by
only 3,000 votes.
Since then Peterson has
remained involved with
Democratic Party politics
but spends most of his time
concentrating on his other
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ing.
Journal reporter
Peterson studied at the
University of Missouri until
1946 when he became a
general assignment reporter
for the Lincoln Journal
lie said journalists need
to know more about the
economy to report about it
more accurately.
A professor encouraged
Peterson to work on his
master's degree after he re
ceived his bachelor's degree
from Nebraska in 1947.
Peterson majored in eco
nomics and European his
tory. After returning from a
fellowship in Switzerland,
T A A .
rcicrson iook an assistant
ship in the economics de
partment. Peterson hadnt planned
on becoming a professor.
i didnt have the fog
giest idea on how people
became professors," he
Since pining the faculty
in 1951, Peterson has been
active in many areas.
He served as chairman of
the UNL economics depart
ment from 1965 to 1975.
He was vice president of the
Faculty Senate in 1972 and
1973 and president the next
year.
Peterson said he is always
learning new ways of teach
ing. He likes to vary his
methods to interest his stu
dents as well as himself, he
said.
Peterson enjoys his work
because economics deals
with how different policies
will affect human beings, he
said.
Studying the analytical
side helps economists under
stand why things happen
the way they do and what
can be done to prevent
problems, he said.
Man arrested
for burglary
A 25-year-old man was
arrested Wednesday night
in connection with a burg
lary at the hotel in the
Nebraska Center for Con
tinuing Education, 33rd and
Holdrege Streets, UNL Po
lice said.
The man allegedly picked
up some room keys and
used one to enter a room,
taking $50 in cash, police
said.
The man arrested and the
victim were non-university
persons who were apparent
ly passing through town.
Two cases of vandalism
to cars occurred within
the last few days, totaling
more than $500 in damage
and thefts, campus police
said.
Police said a vandal took
$115 worth of stereo speak
ers from a car parked
in the Area 2 lot at 17th
and R streets.
The vandal caused more
than $300 worth of damage
to the car by breaking
the driver's window, rear
window and damaging the
car's rear deck, police said.
The front windshield was
broken out of a car parked
in the Area S lot near Burr
Residence Hall at East
Campus, police said. The
windshield was valued at
$150, police said.