Peter Van de Water ‘58
Hometown: Syracuse, New York
Profession: College Administrator, now retired

Member, Alumni Executive Council

Peter Van de Water knew about St. Lawrence through his father, a 1935 St. Lawrence graduate. Peter liked the atmosphere and the people and found that there were plenty of activities to capture his interests.

Peter pursued a major in psychology and also liked history. He considers his major a “background” and a building block for his career; “My liberal arts education provided me with many options for the future,” he says. He was a member of the baseball team and the honor society ODK and was president of his fraternity. After leaving St. Lawrence, Peter continued with his master’s degree at Cornell in guidance and personnel administration, and he also obtained a Ph.D from University of Michigan.

Peter has been director of admissions, financial aid and student activities at St. Lawrence, and was vice president of student affairs for 13 years. He also taught history courses.

Active in community and St. Lawrence affairs, Peter enjoys canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing and reading. When asked what keeps him attached to St. Lawrence, he says, “ I enjoy making a difference because it keeps me involved and committed.”