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Wikipedia Biography of RPCV Peter McPherson by Peru RPCV Hugh Pickens
Peru RPCV Peter McPherson is a former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, former President of Michigan State University, and is now Chairman of the Board of Dow Jones, Publishers of the Wall Street Journal.
Wikipedia Biography of RPCV Peter McPherson by Peru RPCV Hugh Pickens
M. Peter McPherson
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M. Peter McPherson, JD, MBA (born October 27, 1940) was a special assistant to President Gerald Ford, head of USAID under President Ronald Reagan, president of Michigan State University from 1993 to 2004 and Chairman of Dow Jones beginning in 2007.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Education and Peace Corps Service
* 2 Service in Ford and Reagan Administrations
* 3 President of Michigan State University
* 4 Chairman of Dow Jones
* 5 External links
[edit] Education and Peace Corps Service
Peter McPherson received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1963.
His public service career began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, where he spent 18 months in a Peruvian slum running a food distribution program and setting up credit unions. He called the experience a defining moment and said his experience in the Peace Corps helped him learn how to adapt. "When I was a Peace Corps volunteer, it was just a different culture," he said. "I found I couldn't be a gringo and be effective. It's just a matter of asking people what they want to get done, finding out what the formal and informal rules are and figuring out ways to do things differently, while doing practical work in that environment. But that process was a challenge." [1]
Returning from the Peace Corps, he earned an MBA from Western Michigan University and a law degree from American University in Washington.
[edit] Service in Ford and Reagan Administrations
After law school, he worked for the Internal Revenue Service, where his specialty was international taxation. He joined the administration of fellow Michigander Gerald Ford in 1975 as special assistant to the President. As special assistant he got Dick Cheney his first White House job. [2]
After his government service in the Ford administration, he worked in private law practice as managing partner of the Washington office of Vorys, Sater, Seymore and Pease, an Ohio law firm. [3]
In November, 1980 he was named general counsel to the Reagan-Bush transition.
McPherson held several high-level positions in President Ronald Reagan's administration including head of USAID from 1984 to 1985 where he led the U.S. response to the famine in Africa. McPherson's interest in world humanitarian and agricultural issues has made a difference for millions of people. While administrator of USAID he was also chair of the board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. [4]
McPherson served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department from 1987 to 1989.
After his service in the Reagan administration, McPherson worked for Bank of America from 1989 to 1993 managing $600 million as the bank's executive vice president.
[edit] President of Michigan State University
In 1993 he was selected to become President of Michigan State University from 171 publicly identified candidates. He was a surprise choice after a yearlong search for a new leader of the state's largest university, because he lacked the one thing most university presidents have -- a PhD. [5]
During his tenure as President of MSU, the school's international undergraduate study program became the nation's largest. McPherson also gets credit as the only president of a major university to keep tuition at the rate of inflation and for spearheading a $1 billion capital fund-raising campaign and for bringing a private law school to the 45,000-student campus. McPherson retired from MSU in 2004. [6]
McPherson took a leave of absence as President of MSU in 2003 to serve as the Director of Economic Policy for the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq, where he helped establish a central bank and develop a new currency. [7] In August, 2004, McPherson, who spent four months in Iraq, was among five recipients presented with the Distinguished Service Award by U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow for his service in Iraq. [8]
[edit] Chairman of Dow Jones
In February, 2007 Dow Jones & Co. named McPherson chairman of the company during its annual shareholding meeting on April 18. McPherson replaced Peter Kann who previously announced his retirement. McPherson had served as an independent director of Dow Jones since 1998. [9]
As Chairman of Dow Jones & Co., McPherson has been deeply involved in the negotiations with Rupert Murdoch over Murdoch's plan to purchase the Wall Street Journal. [10]
Aside from his duties as Chairman of Dow Jone, McPherson is a Founding Co-Chair and serves as a Director of the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa. [11] He also serves as the president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). [12]
[edit] External links
* Biographical Information (Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections)
* Peace Corps Biography of Peter McPherson
* Peter McPherson, Former President of Michigan State University, Named Next President of NASULGC (Press Release)
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: August, 2007; RPCV Peter McPherson (Peru); Figures; Peace Corps Peru; Directory of Peru RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Peru RPCVs; Economics; Business; Journalism; RPCV Hugh Pickens (Peru); Wikipedia; Creative Commons
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