James A. Peters

Who was James A. Peters?

James Arthur Peters was born in Durant, Iowa; grew up in Greenup, Illinois. He studied at the University of Michigan and obtained his Ph. D. in Biology in 1952. He studied with the herpetologist Norman Edouard Hartweg.

He held teaching positions in

Brown University

Universidad Central de Ecuador, Fulbright Lecturer

Southern Illinois University

San Fernando Valley State College

He held positions in the Department of Reptiles and Amphibians at the Smithsonian Institution

Associate Curator

Curator

Peters was a member of professional societies such as: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, where he served as secretary, 1960–1966, vice-president, 1967 and president, 1970. He was elected to the Washington Biologists’ Field Club. He inaugurated the Smithsonian Herpetological Information Services which distributed materials to herpetological institutions and individuals. He founded the newsletter MUDPIE providing information on computer programs, references, grants, meetings, etc.

His main subject of research was herpetology and zoogeography of Latin America, especially Ecuador.