| Peter C. Knudson | |
| Birth Date: | 26 October 1937 |
| Birth Place: | Brigham City, Utah, U.S. |
| Residence: | Brigham City, Utah |
| State: | Utah |
| State Senate: | Utah |
| District: | 17th |
| Term Start: | January 20, 2003 |
| Term End: | January 1, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | Bill Wright[1] |
| Successor: | Scott Sandall[2] |
| State1: | Utah |
| State Senate1: | Utah |
| District1: | 24th |
| Term Start1: | January 20, 1999 |
| Term End1: | January 20, 2003 |
| Predecessor1: | John P. Holmgren[3] |
| Successor1: | Leonard Blackham |
| State2: | Utah |
| State House2: | Utah |
| District2: | 2nd |
| Term Start2: | January 1, 1995 |
| Term End2: | December 31, 1998 |
| Predecessor2: | Rob Bishop[4] |
| Successor2: | Ben Ferry[5] |
| Office3: | 36th Mayor of Brigham City |
| Term Start3: | January 3, 1978 |
| Term End3: | January 5, 1990 |
| Predecessor3: | Harold B. Felt[6] |
| Successor3: | Clark N. Davis |
| Office4: | Member of the Brigham City Council |
| Term Start4: | 1974 |
| Term End4: | 1978 |
| Predecessor4: | Rudolph M. Kaiser[7] |
| Successor4: | Robert C. Valentine[8] |
| Party: | Republican |
| Children: | 4 |
| Occupation: | Orthodontist |
| Spouse: | Georgianna |
Peter Charles Knudson (October 26, 1937 – June 5, 2024) was an American politician. A Republican, he was a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state's 17th senate district in Box Elder, Cache and Tooele Counties including Brigham City until 2019.
Knudson was born in Brigham City, Utah, on October 26, 1937.[9] He started his career in the military.[10] He was a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. Knudson has an A.S. from Weber State University, his B.S. from Utah State University, his D.D.S. from University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, his M.S. from Loyola University and a Certificate of Specialty in Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Orthodontics, Loyola University. Knudson met his wife, Georgie, in their senior year at the University of Utah.[11] She was engaged to someone else, and he was going steady. After they had terminated their previous relationships, friends introduced them again and they began seeing each other. Georgie attended Stanford University after finishing at the University of Utah while Knudson attended dental school at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco. By the end of their first quarter, they were engaged and they were married at the end of the school year in 1963. They have four children.
Knudson worked as an orthodontics specialist at the University of Utah at the Greenwood clinic.
Knudson died June 5, 2024, at the age of 86.[12]
Knudson worked as an orthodontist for many years. Throughout his career, he won many awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Dental Association. He also served on a number of dentistry and orthodontic boards, including the following:
Knudson started his political career on the Brigham City Council from 1974 to 1978. He then served as the 36th[13] Mayor of Brigham City from 1978 to 1990. He was elected to the House of Representatives and served there from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 1998. He was elected to the Senate in 1998. Throughout his political career he also served on the Utah League of Cities and Towns as president and the National League of Cities on the Board of Directors and advisory council. The Utah League of Cities and Council named Knudson the Most Outstanding Elected Public Official. Peter Knudson won reelection in 2014 against two challengers, one Democrat, and one member of the Constitution Party. He won 75% of the vote.[14] In 2016, Knudson served as the Assistant Majority Whip. In 2016 he was also on the following committees:
| Bill number and title | Bill status | |
|---|---|---|
| S.B. 18 Workforce Services Job Listings Amendments | Governor Signed 3/23/2016 | |
| S.B. 35 Veteran License Plates Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 | |
| S.B. 53 Veteran's Definition Amendments | Governor Signed 3/23/2016 |
As Knudson is a former military man himself, he has been the primary and floor sponsor to many bills which help veterans.[17] In 2014, Knudson floor sponsored House Bill 275, which officially designates March 29 as Vietnam War Memorial Day. During the 2016 legislative session Senator Knudson passed a veteran's license plate bill that allows veterans to display a license plate indicating the campaign or theater in which the veteran served.[18]