- Robert E. Petersen
Robert Einar "Pete" Petersen (
September 10 ,1926 –March 23 ,2007 ) was an Americanpublisher and founder of thePetersen Automotive Museum in 1994. Hevesi, Dennis (March 27, 2007). [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/business/media/27petersen.html Robert Petersen, Publisher of Auto Buff Magazines, Dies at 80.] "New York Times "]Petersen was born in
East Los Angeles and served in the Army Air Corps inWorld War II . Starting with "Hot Rod Magazine " in 1948, he built his publishing empire on automotive-themed publications, including "Motor Trend ".Stone, Matt. [http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/c12_0612_robert_petersen_interview/ Interview: Robert E. Petersen - From Rods To Riches.] "Motor Trend "] He also published " CARtoons", "Guns & Ammo ", "Sport ", "Motorcyclist ", "Car Craft ", "Hunting ", "Mountain Biker ", "Photographic ", "Teen ", "Tiger Beat ", and "Sassy Magazine ".He married Margie McNally in 1963 and had two sons who died in a 1975 plane crash.
In 1996 Petersen sold his company "Petersen Publishing Company" to a private equity fund which, in 1999, sold it for $450 million to publisher
EMAP . In 2001 it was sold toPrimedia . In 2007 Primedia's enthusiast publications, including all the once-Petersen titles, were again sold to Source Interlink, controlled byRon Burkle .Petersen died at St. John's Health Center in
Santa Monica, California of complications fromneuroendocrine cancer .O'Dell, John (March 24, 2007). [http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-petersen25mar25,0,1026980.story?coll=la-home-headlines From a humble start, he found a road to success.] "Los Angeles Times "]References
External links
* [http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?docid=201 Petersen Automotive Museum history]
* [http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?DocID=502&ArticleID=200 Petersen Automotive Museum's Commemorative Article]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.