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Dr. Eugene A. Petersen was born on February 3, 1949, to James and Evadney Petersen in Frederiksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands. He entered St. Patrick kindergarten and elementary school, attended Claude O. Markoe Junior High School, and graduated from St. Croix Cen- tral High School in 1968. Because of his affection for horses and other animals he matriculated at Tuskegee Institute (University) where he studied veterinary medi- cine and was the first Virgin Islander to earn a Doctor of Veterinary (DVM) Medicine Degree in 1975. Dr. Petersen returned home to practice his profession and owned the Princesse Veterinary Hospital in La Grande Princesse, St. Croix, where he practiced for 25 years. Dr. Petersen is an avid horse racing fan and raced horses for many years on St. Croix. He also managed the Randall “Doc” James Race Track as the President and CEO of the Virgin Islands Racing Corp., where he was instrumental in introducing simulcasting and account wagering to the Virgin Islands. One of his major inter- ests is music and entertainment. He began singing as a teenager and learned to play the guitar to accompany his singing. He excelled in the cultural music of the Caribbean, calypso, but is also a balladeer and sings various genres of songs. Doc Petersen, as he is known, has traveled worldwide as a solo artist or with small groups. His travels have taken him to places such as India, Denmark, most of Western Europe, and many places in the United States. He can still be heard as a solo artist in several clubs and restaurants on St. Croix or at major events such as carnivals or festivals. He is a recording artist and has written and produced four music albums and several musical plays for the theater. Besides being a popular radio talk show/music show host for many years, and au- thor of his book “Tan Tan Tales and Tan Tan Tails”, Doc Petersen has served on many boards of directors, such as the Virgin Island Veterinary Board, The Frederiksted Economic Development Board, WTJX public television, and Island Center for the Performing Arts, where he also served as Executive Director for 8 years. He was an integral part of the pro- duction of Sunset Jazz, Wednesday evening in the Park, Blue Bay Jazz Festival, and The Virgin Islands Cultural Exposé and Extravaganza. A pillar in the Virgin Islands community and cultural icon, Dr. Petersen is also a well- known popular talk/music show local host on St. Croix Virgin Islands, where his topics range from current events, culture preservation, to political discussions as well as featuring the classical calypso music of the 1930s thru the 1980s. Eugene “Doc” Petersen, DVM Doctor of Humane Letters Eugene “Doc” Petersen Fifty-Sixth Annual Commencement St. St. the of Two and One in the