Ilion High School - Class of 1916

Herkimer Evening Telegram - September 29, 1950

Masonry's High Honor For Carl W. Peterson

Article 8

33rd Degree
Masonry's High Honor For Carl W. Peterson

Carl W. Peterson, 334 E. Main St., county judge and surrogate, has been nominated for the highest award attainable in Masonry. He was named as an honorary 33rd degree Mason at the meeting of Supreme Council of Masons in Philadelphia this week.

Judge Peterson was born n Ilion the son of Peter and Mary Johnsen Peterson. He attended local schools and graduated from Ilion High School in 1916. He entered Cornell University that fall but interrupted his course to enlist in the U. S. Navy, during World War I, from which he was honorably discharged in December, 1918.

In 1919 he entered Albany Law School, a branch of Union University, and was graduated in 1922 with a degree of Bachelor of Laws. While in his senior year at college he was awarded the state scholarship for former service men.

Returning to Ilion he was associated briefly with the late Theodore Schmidt, publisher of the Ilion Citizen. He was a law clerk in the office of Attorney Frank A. Schmidt and was admitted to the bar before Appellate Division at Rochester, March 15, 1923. He also has been admitted to practice before the United States District Court and the Veteran's Administration at Washington, D. C.

The firm of Schmidt and Peterson was formed in 1927 and in 1930 Peterson was elected district attorney of Herkimer County, which office he held for 15 years. 1945 he was elected county judge and surrogate.

Peterson is a past president of the Herkimer County Bar Association and a former member of the executive committee of the District Attorney's Association.

He was a member of the Ilion Hospital board and was active in its building program. He was also on the bord of trustees of the Herkimer Y.M.C.A. as well as county chairman of the Boy's State Committee for the American Legion.

Judge Peterson is a member of the Ilion Lodge of Elks, Order of Red Men, Litchfield Grange, Ilion Community Club, Down and Out Club, Herkimer; Cedar Lake Club and Delta Chi, National college fraternity.

He is a vestryman in St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, a member of the Ilion Memorial Post American Legion and La Societe 40 & 8.

He has been a director of the Ilion National Bank and Trust Company, a director of the Ilion Cemetery Association, and a member of the General Herkimer Scout Council executive board. He was also chairman of the Ilion branch of the Red Cross for three years. He is now serving as president.

A Republican, he served on the town committee for eight years and was its chairman for four years. He is a director of the Herkimer County Tuberculosis and Health Association and was a member of the Herkimer County Committee of National Youth Association. He is also a member of the Cornell Club of Utica.

Peterson became a member of the Ilion Masonic Lodge 591 in 1919 and was made master in 1929. He served as District Deputy Grand Master of the Fulton, Herkimer and Montgomery district from 1939 to 1940. He is a past president of the Past Master s Association of the same district.

Since 1947 he has been a member of the Grand Lodge committee of law enforcement appointed by Grand Master Gay H. Brown.

He is present high priest and prophet of the Ziyara Temple AAONMS. He is also a member of Iroquois Chapter RAM, a member of the Mohawk Valley Shrine Club and the Mohawk Valley Scottish Rite Club.

Peterson was married to Anna M. Fisher, a former teacher in Ilion schools. Mrs. Peterson is a past matron of Evening Star Chapter, OES.

They have one son, Carl W., Jr., a sophomore at Hamilton College, where he is taking a liberal arts course.