Obituaries

John Emmett Peters

Photo of John  Emmett Peters
Dr. John Emmett Peters, 93, of Hope, Arkansas passed away Saturday, January 22, 2011. Dr. Peters was born in Houston, Texas on Thursday, August 30, 1917 to John Emmet and Mary Zetta Joseph Peters. He was a retired child psychiatrist and a US Navy veteran of WWII serving as a Pharmacist Mate First Class. He was preceded in death by his parents, by his first wife, (of 27 years) Virginia O. Peters, his second wife, (of 21 years) Jeanne P. Peters, a brother, Lynn Peters, a sister, Nell Briggs, niece, Katherine Kinney, step-son; Robin Dyer all of Houston, Texas. He graduated from Rice University, 1938, University of California, Los Angeles, 1940 and Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland, 1950. His post graduate education include; Baltimore City Hospitals, Baltimore, Maryland, Henry Phipps Psychiatry Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Peters Academic appointments: Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at University of Arkansas Medical School (54-57), Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UAMS, (57-62), Director of the Children Psychiatry Clinic at UAMS (55-62), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Director of Pavlovian Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland (62-64), Professor of Psychiatry at UAMS, Little Rock, Ark. (64-97), Director of Psychiatric Residency Training, UAMS-Little Rock, Ark. (64-65), Director of Psychiatric Clinic for Children, UAMS-Little Rock, Ark. (65-67), Head, division of Child Psychiatry, UAMS-Little Rock, Ark. (67-86), Director of Unit II, Greater Little Rock Community Mental Health Center, UAMS-Little Rock, Ark. (67-86), Professor, Division of Child Psychiatry-UAMS-Little Rock, Ark. (64-97). Dr. Peters was on the staff of the following hospitals: Arkansas State Hospital, The Bridgeway Hospital (Director of Child-Adolescent Psychiatry) (83-86) and the Arkansas Children's Hospital-Little Rock, Ark. (81-97), Research Consultant, North Little Rock Veterans Hospital (54-68), Special Consultant for Integration to Little Rock and Dollarway School Boards (58-60), Chairman, Pulaski County Community Council Child and Family Unit, (which later became Elizabeth Mitchell Children's Center), Member of Pulaski County Child Guidance Clinic Board (62-68), Chairman of Research Committee-Arkansas Association for Retarded Citizens, Chairman of Ad Hoc Committee on Mentally Disordered Sex Offender (67-75), member of Arkansas State Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (67-78), Committee of Diagnostic and Educational Services for the Emotionally Disturbed-Little Rock School Board (75), Director of Medical Horizon's Program of Ciba Pharmaceutical Company, a post graduate course for physicians on minimal brain dysfunction's, Consultant to College of the Ozarks-establishing a program for dyslexic college students, Consultant to Abbott Pharmaceutical Company (71-75), research on Cylert, and in regard to the making of the film, "Bobby", A Hyperactive Child", Consultant to American Schools of Aramco, Saudi Arabia-February 1980, and made numerous consultations and lectures to universities, colleges and school systems in Arkansas and did fund raising for Child Study Center and in establishing Wohdan Chair of Child Psychiatry and Howells Chair of Psychiatry. He was a member of the following boards and association: American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, Sigma Xi, American Society of Professors of Child Psychiatry, Arkansas Psychiatric Society, Pavlovian Society of American, American Association for the Advancement of Science and New York Academy of Sciences. His Special Honors and Recognition's: Henry Strong Denison Scholarship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for research on muscular tension and heart rate-1948, President, Arkansas Psychiatric Society-1961, President, Pavlovian Society of American-1968, Pavlovian Society Award for behavior genetics in dogs, shared with R.A. Dykman and O.D. Murphree-1970, Wohdan Professor of Child Psychiatry-UAMS-1981, Pioneer Award of the Arkansas Association for Children with Learning Disabilities-1985, Distinguished Faculty Award, College of Medicine-UAMS-1987. Dr. Peters is survived by his children; Gigi Bradshaw, Hope; Philip Peters and wife, Alison, Little Rock, Ark.; step-children; Jeannie Scott and husband, Tom, Randy Dyer and wife, Sharla all of Houston, Texas. One Sister; Margaret Kinney (Dick), Houston, Texas. Grandchildren; Alicia Bunker (Avery), Jessica Cox (Chad), Ginna Peters and Rebecca Black (Travis); step-grandchildren; Robert Dyer, Suzanne Scott Gibbs, Angela Scott Richard, four great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and their families and Special friends; Pat Riley, Pratt Remmel and Felice Ferrell. He was known with affection to family and friends as "Son", "Pete", "Petie", "John" and "Doc". His hobbies and interest include: gardening, vineyard, music (active and passive), comparative religions, drama, writing, playing the clarinet, recorder and piano. He was fluent in several languages. A memorial service will be held 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Hope, Ark. In lieu of flowers the family request memorial to: UAMS-Little Rock, Ark. or to Arkansas Children's Hospital-Little Rock, Ark. A gathering of family and friends for remembrance and visiting will be Friday, January 28, 2011 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Hope, Ark. between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. Arrangements are by Brazzel/Oakcrest The Funeral Home of Hope, Arkansas. Online guestbook: www.brazzelfuneralhomes.com.

Published January 27, 2011

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