The New York Medico-Legal Society appointed Frederick Peterson to oversee the technical development of the electric chair in 1888. This assignment occurred shortly after his involvement in Harold P. Brown's demonstrations involving alternating current. Beyond his role in forensic medical procedures, Peterson maintained an extensive career spanning neurology, psychiatry, clinical education, and literary composition throughout his life.
Academic and Clinical Training
Born in Faribault, Minnesota, in 1859, Peterson completed his initial studies at the University at Buffalo. He subsequently expanded his medical education by attending several European institutions, including the Universities of Vienna, Zurich, Strassburg, and Gőttingen. By 1882, he returned to the United States to begin his tenure as a professor at the University at Buffalo.
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Peterson practiced as a neurologist in New York City for a decade and held a professorship at the University of Vermont during 1893 and 1894. He served as president of the Craig Colony for Epileptics from 1892 to 1902, overseeing the first residential facility for epilepsy patients in the country. Additionally, he served as president of the New York State Commission on Lunacy starting in 1900. His academic career included a clinical professorship at the Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary and a full professorship of nervous and mental diseases at Columbia University, where he remained until his retirement in 1915.
Editorial and Professional Leadership
Throughout his professional life, Peterson occupied significant leadership roles in neurological organizations. He led the New York Neurological Society from 1899 to 1901 and the American Neurological Association in 1925. His written contributions to the field were prolific, including editorial work for The Journal of Nervous and Medical Diseases and The New York Medical Journal. He co-authored Nervous and Mental Diseases with Archibald Church in 1899 and was a primary contributor to A Textbook of Legal Medicine and Toxicology.
Literary and Cultural Interests
Outside of his medical career, Peterson produced several literary works. He authored Poems and Swedish Translations in 1883 and In the Shade of the Ygdrasil in 1893. He also co-wrote a play titled The Flutter of the Gold Leaf in 1922 with Olive Tilford Dargan. His poem, The Sweetest Flower that Blows, was adapted into a song by James Hotchkiss Rogers. Following his 1895 marriage to Antoinette Rotan, he also developed a reputation as a collector of Chinese paintings.
Fast facts
- Born: 1859, Faribault, Minnesota
- Died: 1938
- Education: University at Buffalo
- Spouse: Antoinette Rotan
- Notable Role: President, American Neurological Association (1925)
- Occupations: Neurologist, Psychiatrist, Poet
- Key Publication: Nervous and Mental Diseases (1899)
Questions readers ask
What was Frederick Peterson's role in the development of the electric chair?
In 1888, the New York Medico-Legal Society appointed him to head a committee responsible for finalizing the implementation of electrical execution in the state.
Which major epilepsy institution did Peterson lead?
He served as the president of the Craig Colony for Epileptics, the first United States residential facility for individuals with epilepsy, from 1892 to 1902.