Jack Leroy Petersen (b. aprox 1933, Elk City, OK) is a US jazz guitarist, pianist, composer,
arranger, music publisher, music clinician, and renowned pioneer in jazz education who
revolutionized guitar education. He was a pedagogical architect for jazz guitar and jazz
improvisation at three institutions of higher learning:
First full-time jazz guitar teacher at the Berklee College of Music (1962-65 - Inaugural Chair,
Guitar Department)
Longstanding and influential jazz guitar artist in residence at theUniversity of North Texas
College of Music (1976-88 - Resident Artist, Jazz Guitar, Improv).
Joining his close colleague, Rich Matteson, who was recruited from North Texas to build a new
program at the University of North Florida focusing on jazz, Petersen built a jazz guitar
program (1988-1995; fully retiring 1999 - Resident Artist and Associate Professor).