Esther Peterson Consumer Policy ForumThis lectureship was established in 1990 to recognize and honor the outstanding, long-term contributions of Esther Peterson to consumer policy making. It honors her as a notable long-time consumer activist and early leader in the consumer movement. It is presented at the ACCI Conference annually with respect to a contemporary consumer policy issue that is identified and clarified. Esther Peterson BiographyEsther Eggertsen Peterson (December 9, 1906 – December 10, 1997) graduated in 1927 from Brigham Young University. Early in her career, she taught prep school and volunteered at the YWCA. In 1938, Peterson became a paid organizer for the American Federation of Teachers and traveled around New England. In 1944, she became the first lobbyist for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC. In 1948, the State Department offered Peterson’s husband a position as a diplomat in Sweden. The family returned to Washington, DC, and in 1957 Peterson joined the Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO becoming its first woman lobbyist. She served as Assistant Secretary of Labor and Director of the United States Women’s Bureau for President John F. Kennedy and Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs under Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter. She also held positions as Vice President for Consumer Affairs at Giant Food Corporation, and president of the National Consumers League. Learn more about Esther Peterson
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