San Francisco
Peter William Casey, a native of San Francisco, grew up in the city’s Sunset District and attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
San Francisco State University is proud to count several of Mr. Casey’s family as alumni. His mother received her bachelor’s degree in education, and his wife, Rosemary Casey, is also an alumna with her Bachelor of Arts in radio and television, along with his sister, Judy Casey, who received her Master of Science in counseling from this great institution.
Pursuing a career in television, Mr. Casey received his first big break with his partner David Lee in 1978 when one of his scripts was accepted for the television show The Jeffersons. A year later they were invited to join the show as writers, story editors and producers. Mr. Casey then joined the staff of Cheers, when one of his scripts was accepted for production.
Honors and awards bestowed on Mr. Casey include seven Emmy Awards for both Frasier and Cheers; as well as the Golden Globe, the People’s Choice Award, the George Foster Peabody Award, and the Humanitas Prize. In 1995, Mr. Casey and his partners were named Television Producers of the Year by the Producers Guild of America.
Mr. Casey is a committed alumnus of San Francisco State University; inducted into the SF State Alumni Hall of Fame in 2001 and named SF State’s Alumnus of the Year in 2002. Committed to giving back to his alma mater, Mr. Casey has served as a director of the SF State Foundation Board, President’s Executive Committee and Campaign Steering Committee.
Mr. Casey continues to be a welcome presence on campus, speaking with students and faculty, and is a frequent visitor to television writing classes. Mr. Casey was the featured speaker on the first Alumni Day event in 2009. Over the years, he has generously donated memorabilia from his television career including his Emmy statuettes, which are proudly displayed on campus as an inspiration to our students. San Francisco State University is honored to count Mr. Casey among its most accomplished and cherished alumni.
In recognition of his distinguished career, his contribution to the arts and his service to the university, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and San Francisco State University are proud to confer upon Peter William Casey the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts.