Dorothy A. Peterson; Prominent L.A. Interior Designer

Dorothy A. Peterson, 81, an interior designer for more than half a century who served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and was a founding member of the Foundation of Interior Designers Education Research. Miss Peterson was also a past president of the local chapter of the Philanthropic Education Organization and helped design its retirement homes in Alhambra and San Jose. She had her own firm in Westwood dating from 1970. Educated at UCLA and Woodbury University, she later taught interior design for UCLA Extension. Last year, a Dorothy Peterson memorial award was established to aid interior design students. In Santa Monica on Feb. 20 of respiratory complications.