Peter J. Shields (4 April 1862-28 September 1962) was a Sacramento judge, cow breeder, and one time secretary of the California State Agricultural Society. His mother, Elizabeth Shields, was a well-known orchardist in Sacramento County. He is notable in Davis for his efforts to establish the UC Davis Campus. He helped fight for funds and wrote the bill that ultimately led to the university's creation. This successful bill was preceded by two unsuccessful versions in which Shields had focused on the creation of a specialized dairy school as opposed to a generalized farming school. Shields strongly believed that an inland region such as Yolo County, as opposed to the Bay area, should become home to an agricultural education center. Although the bill entailed the creation of a commission that would decide upon a suitable town, Shields entered in last-minute stipulations at the behest of a co-authoring Yolo senator, which greatly increased the likelihood of Davis being picked as the university site.
The University honors him in several ways:
- Shields Library
- Peter J. Shields Avenue (and therefore the University's address One Shields Avenue)
- Shields Oak Grove in the Arboretum
- Peter J. Shields scholarship
- He was also given an LLD degree from the University
