Dedicated to Humanity
The Book
The Brothers
Hal
&
Charlie
Hal (Boss) Peterson was born February 28, 1899 and died in 1962. Charlie Vann Peterson was born September 15, 1901 and died in 1953. At an early age, the brothers began a partnership which grew into several millions of dollars in value. Peterson’s Garage and Auto Company was the first of many companies in which the brothers owned controlling interest. Others included the Kerrville Bus Company, West Texas Auto Company, Beverly Studios and Castle Investments Corporation. Ranches included the Taylor Ranch, Diamond Bar, Peterson Stock Farm and Camp Eagle. The book Hal and Charlie described the brothers as follows:
“Hal (Boss) Peterson guarded his privacy like a Hill Country coyote, but his visionary business ventures made him a South Texas legend.
“His gentle brother, Charlie Peterson, much preferred the outdoor life to a business meeting, but he somehow became the essential ballast of reason and restraint.
“As different as rock and water, these two brothers formed an unwritten and perhaps unspoken partnership which grew to empire status in the first half of the twentieth century. And this empire evolved into perhaps the two greatest gifts ever bestowed upon the Texas Hill Country: the Hal and Charlie Peterson Foundation and the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital in Kerrville, Texas."
Recommended for additional information about the founders, copies of the book
Hal and Charlie
are available from the Foundation Office.
The concept of a charitable foundation was considered by the Peterson brothers, Hal and Charlie, prior to World War II. Delayed by the war, the concept turned into reality in November 1944 as it became evident the United States would prevail. With the initial contribution by Hal Peterson of $100, the mission of the Foundation to “support of any charitable or educational undertaking in the State of Texas” was underway. In 1947, the Foundation Trustees decided “...to establish a non-profit hospital in the City of Kerrville for the benefit of the people of the Hill Country in general...”. Once again, financed mainly from contributions by businesses owned by the two brothers, concept turned into reality as the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital dedicated to the memory of the father of the Peterson brothers began receiving patients in July 1949.
Late in the 1980's, the Trustees of the Foundation came to realize the present day operation of a hospital bears little resemblance to the charitable hospital operation of the 1940's and 1950's. Considering all the changes, the Trustees determined the hospital operation would be better served by a separate organization. A new non-profit corporation, Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital was formed and on January 1, 1990 assumed the ownership and operation of the Hospital. The Foundation returned to its roots to support any charitable or educational undertaking. The Trustees of the Foundation, recognizing the devotion the brothers had for the Texas Hill Country and the resources available for grants, chose to restrict grant funding to those exempt organizations serving Kerr and adjacent counties in Texas. The Foundation has provided over $45,800,000 in grants to over 216 organizations in these counties through 2007.
