He joined
Stroock & Stroock as a partner upon graduation in 1918 and became senior partner in 1943. Since then, the firm is known as
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. In 1956 he appointed by
Dwight D. Eisenhower to chair the United States Committee for the United Nations. As a philanthropist, he supported the
Berkshire Theater Festival and the
Academy of American Poets. The annual Peter I. B. Lavan Younger Poets Award was set up by the Academy in 1983, some well-known poets were awarded, including
Rita Dove,
William Logan,
Jorie Graham and
Christopher Merrill. == Personal life ==