Peter Schneider was born on March 2, 1833, in Niederzissen, Coblenz, Prussia. At age nineteen his family emigrated to the United States and he entered the Montreal Novitiate on November 11, 1852, and received the habit of the Brothers on December 24 of that same year. In March of 1853 he was assigned to the Brothers' school at Kingston where he was to spend five years. In 1858 he was assigned to the school in Rochester and in 1862 he was assigned to Detroit, teaching the "1st class" in primary school. In 1865 he was assigned to Philadelphia and in 1867 he was appointed Sub-Director of the community at 2nd Street in New York and inspector of county schools. Unable to communicate with French superiors during the Franco-Prussian War, Brother Patrick, Provincial of the New York District, requested Brother Botulph to "Go to Santa Fe and Make it Go!" The Brothers had come to Santa Fe in 1859, but a lack of success had made them ready to give up their efforts in 1870. Now appointed Visitor of the Santa Fe District and Director of the College, he set off for the long journey to New Mexico. Four years later in 1874, Brother Botulph had St. Michael's College of Santa Fe "up on its feet" and incorporated. In 1878 he did the incredible by constructing a three story adobe building, the first "skyscraper" in the southwest. In 1879 he had Brothers Filiberto and Jude Michael establish a school for Indian Boys and young braves who soon learned to read and write both English and Spanish. "Professor Schneider", as he became known, was appointed County Superintendent of schools and a member of the Territorial Board of Education, both positions he held until his death. He was appointed by the governor of the territory as a member of the committee for the construction of the capital in Santa Fe. He spent 36 years in Santa Fe and on February 9, 1906, he died. The Bishop and his Auxiliary said the funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Santa Fe and the Governor and former Governor asked for the privilege of being pall bearers. He died at age seventy-three and in his fifty-fourth year as a De La Salle Christian Brother. Three of Brother Botulph's blood brothers became Christian Brothers. Michael Schneider became Brother Ammian (1819-1893), John Schneider became Brother Dosas (1821-1897) and Peter Schneider became Brother Bothian (1830-1912).
