Mrs. Leah Peterson
A native Idaho teacher, Mrs. Leah (Webster) Peterson spent one year at NNC—earning her teaching certificate in 1928—but for her it was enough time to receive an impression she would carry her entire life. After her death in 2007, she honored NNU with a gift of $7 million, signifying the impact that NNU made on her life and her long-held passion for Christian education. Her generosity began the building process for the Leah Peterson Learning Commons—a state-of-the-art academic facility that includes an expanded library and a myriad of technology resources.
After leaving NNC in 1928, Peterson began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in the isolated Salmon River back-country of Idaho. She married fellow educator Chester Peterson in 1930 and the couple moved to Alaska in 1939 to continue teaching.
Throughout her 42 years of service with the Anchorage School System, Peterson’s vocations included elementary school teacher, remedial reading specialist, supervisor, curriculum coordinator, elementary director and principal. She wrote a social science textbook, “This is Alaska,” which was adopted by the state of Alaska for use throughout the state.