"Dan was one of the true heroes of the Directors Guild. An active Guild leader for more than 30 years, Dan's service was truly above and beyond the call of duty. He was known for his kind and thoughtful nature, but when it came to defending the economic and creative rights for DGA members, Dan was one of the toughest leaders at the negotiating table. His loss to the Guild is incalculable, for loyalty like his cannot be measured. We will miss him greatly."
-Michael Apted,
DGA President
DGA Service and Awards
In 1996, Dan won the Robert B. Aldrich Award for Outstanding Service to The Directors Guild and its membership.
Over the years Dan received 11 DGA Award nominations and won the DGA Award four times. In 1971 he won in the Dramatic Series, Night category for his direction of the episode "Hands of Love" for the series The Man and the City. He has previously won in the Movies for Television category in 1976 for Eleanor and Franklin, in 1977 for Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years, and in 1984 for The Dollmaker. Petrie's first nomination was for the feature film A Raisin in the Sun in 1961. He was also nominated in 1962 (The Benefactor) and 1969 (Silent Night, Lonely Night), when the DGA only had one overall television category. His other four nominations were for the television movies My Name is Bill W. in 1989, Kissinger and Nixon in 1995 and Inherit the Wind in 1999.
