Biographical Note: Peter L. Danner was born on April 7, 1921 in Follansbee, West Virginia. He graduated from Marquette High School in Milwaukee in 1939 and then attended Marquette University until 1941, when he joined the Society of Jesus. He completed his B.A. at St. Louis University in 1945 and his M.A. in 1949. Danner taught briefly at Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin before leaving the Jesuits in 1951. He went on to teach at LeMoyne College and St. Ambrose College. Danner joined Marquette's faculty in 1961, completing a Ph.D. in Economics from Syracuse University in 1964. As an economist, Danner was most interested in the condition of scarcity and what he termed "the interplay between economic and moral principles in action." At Marquette, Danner was chairman of the Economics Department from 1968-1974. He served on several university committees, including the Committee on Research and the Spiritual Welfare Committee. Danner was active in the Association of Social Economics, serving terms as the organization's president, secretary, and treasurer. In 1980 Danner received Marquette's Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. In 1984 he was initiated into Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit Honor Society. Danner became Professor Emeritus of Economics in 1986.

Danner was a thoughtful and tireless advocate of parochial schooling and parental choice in education. During the late 1960s and early 1970s he was involved with Citizens for Educational Freedom (CEF), and he served on the Governor's Commission on Education (a.k.a. Kellett Commission). After his retirement from teaching, Danner served on the board of directors for the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Education Foundation. He remained a board member after 1992, when the foundation reincorporated to become Partners Advancing Values in Education (PAVE). Danner served on PAVE's board of directors until 2001.

Danner died on September 14, 2008.

Restrictions: With the exception of one folder in the first sub-series, access to these records is unrestricted. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of these records. Consult an archivist for further information.

Scope and Content: The collection documents Danner's service activities both within and outside Marquette University. The former includes papers related to the Economics Department, as well as multiple campus committees and organizations. Among them are the Blum Center for Advancing Freedom in Education, the Faculty Association for Interracial Justice, the Pere Marquette Society, the Committee on the Christian Character of Marquette University, and the Ad Hoc Committee to Study the Status and Role of Students. Danner's non-university records document several educational reform organizations, most notably the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Education Foundation (1986-1991) and Partners Advancing Values in Education (1991-2002). This part of the collection includes clippings files containing numerous newspaper and magazine articles documenting education reform in Wisconsin and nationwide. Furthermore, several published reports about school choice appear in the collection.

Arrangement: The collection is arranged into two sub-series. Sub-series 1 documents Danner's involvement with committees and groups related to Marquette University. Sub-series 2 documents Danner's service activities on behalf of parochial schooling and parental choice in education.

Sub-series 1	Marquette University-Related Papers, 1961-1993, n.d.
Sub-series 2	Non-Marquette University-Related Papers, 1961-2002, n.d.