Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Staff Report
Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian announced that the Leon S. Peters Foundation has made a generous donation of $30,000 to the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State.
The gift will be used for a variety of activities, including scholarships, outreach activities, an Armenia summer study trip, and general support for the Program.
Leon S. Peters was respected as a businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist who lived and worked according to the highest ethical standards. He cherished his community and considered its well being his personal responsibility.
Leon Peters and his brother, Pete Peters, established Valley Foundry and Machine Works, a world-recognized supplier of agricultural equipment, and it became one of the region’s most successful businesses, allowing them to start the foundation in 1959. Since then, the Peters Foundation has become one of the community’s biggest benefactors, giving to higher education, hospitals, and arts organizations.
Gifts from the Peters Family and their Foundations include naming of the Leon S. Peters Business Building and the auditorium of the University Business Center that was named for Alice Peters in 1988.
Many other organizations have been touched by Peters’ generosity, including the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, Valley Public Television, the San Joaquin College of Law, and the Boys and Girls Club.
Since the early 1980s, the Peters family has provided numerous gifts to Fresno State including the Pete P. Peters Endowment in Armenian Studies, the President’s Fund, Ag One Foundation, the Henry Madden Library, the Bulldog Foundation, the Leon S. Peters Honors Scholars, and the Business Associates Program.