Duke student. Sigma Nu fraternity brother. Editor of The Chronicle. Convicted murderer.
Although his name is now associated largely with the murder of his wife, the recently convicted Michael Peterson had a life at Duke before he even met her. Much of that life took place in the office of The Chronicle.
Elected as editor in April 1964, Peterson hoped to revitalize the paper and make it more readable. “If nothing else, I can promise a more vital and dominant newspaper; hopefully, a better and more beneficial one,” he said. Peterson wanted to print the truth—even if that truth was controversial.
As editor, he “wanted the paper to be something of consequence,” Donald Bellman, former exchange editor, said. “He was willing to tackle something that was difficult and needed to be worked through. If he had something to say, he would say it.”
This direct approach probably bothered some people, but “most of the staff regarded him fairly well,” former Assistant to the Editor Jay Creswell said. However, Creswell did admit having personal conflicts with Peterson.
“Peterson was an enthusiastic guy,” Donald Manning, former managing editor, said. “A good guy to work for.”
Although some of Peterson’s fellow Chronicle alumni were unaware of his recent conviction, those contacted all commented that Peterson was, as Manning said, “not a guy you would think would end up murdering his wife.” Rather, he was more widely remembered for his work in the Civil Rights movement and his desire to have the newspaper, in his words, “be readable and its opinions valued.”
Peterson continued with his writing career after earning his diploma. After returning to live in Durham, he wrote columns for The Chronicle and the Durham Herald-Sun. He also published two novels, A Time of War in 1990 and A Bitter Peace in 1995.
Peterson’s willingness to say anything carried over from his college years and is apparent in his more recent columns in The Chronicle. In a column titled “Freedom from offensiveness? Nah.” Peterson wrote: “The tyranny of political correctness must end. You do not have the right to silence those who offend you. Those who think they should exist in an inoffensive world are idiots. So there!” Such a bold approach was characteristic of Peterson’s writing throughout his life, including his time at Duke while working at The Chronicle.
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