Peter H. Ruger - 2011
Peter H. Ruger has served institutions of higher education since 1974 as counsel and faculty member. Currently, as a senior lecturer in law at the Washington University School of Law, he teaches the law of nonprofit organizations and co-directs the Intellectual Property and Nonprofit Organizations Legal Clinic. Immediately prior to joining the law faculty, he was of counsel to the Tueth, Keeney, Cooper, Mohan and Jackstadt law firm of St. Louis and represented a number of higher education and nonprofit organizations. He was Washington University’s general counsel for 18 years and Southern Illinois University’s for more than 7 years. He received his B.A. degree from Denison University and his M.A. (history) and J.D. from Washington University.
Peter’s involvement in NACUA has been long and distinguished. He has served on virtually every NACUA committee, chairing both the Committees on Nominations and Elections and Honors and Awards. In addition, he chaired the Executive Director Search Committee upon the retirement of Executive Director Emeritus Mike Grier. Mr. Ruger was first elected to the Board of Directors in 1981 as a member-at-large, and again in 1986 as second vice president. He served as first vice president in 1987-1988 and as president-elect in 1988-1989. In 1989-1990, he became the Association’s 29th president. He received the Distinguished Service Award in 2001 for his extraordinary service both to NACUA and to institutions of higher learning.
Peter is co-author of the NACUA publication, “Accommodating Faculty and Staff with Psychiatric Disabilities”. He has spoken extensively at NACUA workshops and Annual Conferences for many years, and at numerous other organizations’ meetings on behalf of NACUA. For more than thirty years, he has given generously, selflessly, and graciously of his time and expertise on myriad association activities.
Peter is the epitome of what NACUA is all about. He even once had a Missouri license plate that said “NACUA”. He has been a mentor to countless NACUA attorneys who regard him as not only a superb colleague and university attorney who has given much to NACUA, but as a very special friend.
NACUA is pleased to recognize Peter H. Ruger as a Life Member of the Association in recognition of his outstanding service and his sustained and substantial contributions to NACUA and the field of higher education law, most especially for his service to the Board of Directors.