Hal and Charlie

Hal and Charlie Peterson, like so many who have accumulated wealth, value privacy, and hid from the spotlight. And the Hal and Charlie Peterson Foundation, which they founded, endowed, and directed in its early days, reflected this privacy for decades. This book is devoted to preserving these two philanthropists’ memory and what motivated them to invest their wealth in the public good. To capture the two brothers’ character, the authors researched the pioneer times in which they lived, their Hill Country home in Kerrville, and their friends and associates. In the four decades since the two died, the Foundation and the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital have grown into major benevolent forces holding more than $100 million in assets. The legendary Peterson brothers, who seldom saw their names in print, left a legacy that became more valuable to their beloved Hill country every year.

Author Biography

Vicki J. Audette retired from her television career in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1990 and relocated to Kerrville, Texas, to become a full-time writer. Her interest in Hal and Charlie Peterson began with the discovery of an old Camp Eagle booklet found at Wolfmueller’s books in downtown Kerrville. As a former TV reporter with a readiness for research, Vicki was enchanted by the brief glimpse into the colorful life of the Peterson brothers. Years later, when Hal and Charlie Peterson Foundation commissioned the Hal and Charlie book, she became an eager collaborator. This is Vick Audette’s fifth book. A former publisher of the Kerrville Mountain Sun, author J. Tom Graham is currently chief operating officer of Westward Comminications LLC, a Houston-based company with operates seventy newspapers in four states. Graham is the author of “Quaint We Ain’t, A Weekly Editor Confesses the Truth About Small Town Life.” He also has written several plays, including “Quaint We Ain’t” and a comedy entitled “For Married Only.”