Peter R. Senn

Senn, Dr. Peter R. was emeritus professor of economics and social science at Wilbur Wright College and a nationally recognized educator and authority on the history of social science. He was the author or co-author of three books, more then 50 scientific articles and numerous other reports and studies. His daughter, Martha Rubenstein said, "He was making important contributions to his profession long after he retired." He was a President of the Illinois Economics Association and an editor of the journal. Dr. Senn's research won him fellowships from the Ford foundations and several grants from the National Science Foundation. He was a founding member of several national organizations, including the American Veterans Committee and the Social Science Education Consortium. He helped to organize several unions including the Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600. Until his retirement in 1984, he was active in the business world both as a registered investment adviser and member of the Board of Directors of several corporations. He also served as Executive Director of the Law in America Foundation. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he left for a football scholarship at Oregon State University where he majored in physics. A staunch anti-fascist, he volunteered in the infantry. The army had other plans and he was trained as an electrical engineer. He saw service in many theaters of the South Pacific. He was proud of his medals and awards, which included the Victory, American Theater, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal with Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal and Battle Stars for New Guinea, Southern Philippines and Luzon. Immediately after World War II he entered the University of Chicago, and graduated in 1947 with a Master of Arts degree in Economics. He went on to study at the University of Paris where he earned the degree of Docteur en Droit de l'Universite de Paris, with honors, in 1951. Before coming to the City Colleges of Chicago, he was a faculty member at Pennsylvania State College. His academic career included many visiting professorships at the University of Chicago, Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, DePaul University, and the University of Tartu in Estonia.