Richard Vilstrup and the late Donald R. Peterson, both of the University of Wisconsin-Madison”s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, were inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame during a ceremony Oct. 16 at San Antonio, Texas.

Peterson began his Wisconsin career as an Extension weed control specialist in the Department of Agronomy, at a time when weed control options for field crops were greatly expanding for growers. He developed field demonstrations, spoke at meetings throughout the state, and teamed with other CALS faculty to bring the latest in University crop production and weed control research to state farmers.

Peterson was director of Agricultural Research Stations from 1962 to 1974, and associate dean for Extension and state Extension program leader for agriculture and agribusiness from 1974 to 1990. A tireless team-builder, Peterson encouraged statewide interdisciplinary programming, bringing together community, business and government representatives and UW System and Extension experts to serve Wisconsin agriculture and agribusiness.

Peterson remained active after retiring from the UW-Madison in 1990. He chaired the Wisconsin Agribusiness Council board of directors from 1995 to 1996, and also served as president and CEO for that organization. He was an organizer of the Consortium of Animal Agriculture Resource Development, and remained active in its operations. He was associated for many years with Wisconsin Farm Progress Days, Inc., as chairman of the board of directors, and most recently as executive director and secretary/treasurer. He died of a heart attack in August 1998, at age 73.

Vilstrup, an emeritus professor of agricultural economics and meat and animal science, founded the
University of Wisconsin Center Cooperatives, and developed the National Cooperative Leadership program used in director training programs of nearly all the major regional cooperative and state co-op councils. He guided the Farm Credit Service Association”s leadership into developing combined services, assisted credit union leaders in adapting new member programs, and served on the team that established the first cooperative holding company. He consulted on several efforts to coordinate, consolidate and merge marketing and supply cooperatives in the Midwest and Western states.

Through Vilstrup”s leadership and advisory work, Wisconsin producers pioneered in developing Vilstrup, emeritus professor of agricultural economics and meat and animal science, computer auctions of livestock, and introduced video cattle sales by major livestock-marketing organizations. His cooperative hay-marketing system has been adopted in several hay-production states.

Vilstrup has represented the United States in meetings with cooperative leaders on a special government mission to Czechoslovakia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Central America and Algeria. He has conducted leadership and educational programs in Europe, Africa, Central America and Canada. His many publications on communication and leadership issues have been translated into several languages.

The International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame has been created to honor leaders in the fields of continuing education and adult learning in 20th century America. This tribute is meant to acknowledge their contributions, as well as serve as a record and inspiration for the next century of continuing education leaders.