[DOC Shield]
[Patterson Photos Page]
[Richard C. Patterson]
x
A mining engineer, Richard C. Patterson joined the Pershing expedition to Mexico as a Cavalry private. During WWI he served as an Engineers captain and major with American forces in France.
x
Promoted to Colonel, Patterson was designated Administrative Officer for the U.S. peace negotiations commission. He had charge of various support, transport and communication services. In this 1919 official photo of commission executives, President Woodrow Wilson is seated center. Col. Patterson is standing in his Army uniform in the front row. The commission included Barnard Baruch, John Foster and Alan W. Dulles, C. A. Herter, Col. U.S. Grant III, and Robert H. Lansing.
x
Mayor Jimmy Walker and Correction Commissioner Richard C. Patterson, right, render ritual shovel services in groundbreaking ceremonies at the Women's House of Detention site in Greenwich Village.
x
After service as FDR's Commerce under- secretary, Patterson became RKO board chairman but was "loaned" to the WWII Savings Bond drive as its NY chief. Here he and his wife Shelley welcome movie star Anna Neagle to a 1942 event.
x
In this mid-1940s photo, U.S. Ambassador to Yugoslavia Patterson and that country's dynamic but often difficult leader, Marhsal Tito, are seen in a relaxed mood. Though they enjoyed mutual respect on a personal level, international and internal national situations tended to place their diplomatic dealings under considerable tension.
x
As Commissioner of Commerce and Public Events under Mayor Wagner, Patterson welcomed and escorted royalty, heads of state and various leaders. During a 1954 visit by Queen Elizabeth, her camera-person photographed Patterson chatting with the Queen Mother who later autographed the photo and had it sent to him with a note of appreciation.
Colonel/Commissioner/Ambassador Patterson remained active in the civic life of the city and country well into his 80th year. We gratefully acknowledge the help of his family in assembling these images.

Thomas C. McCarthy,
Director, Editorial
and Communication
Services, NYC DOC

Return to Commissioner Patterson Brief Bio Page

More on Keepers School, Rikers Penitentiary
6 JPGs=97K

To
NYCHS
Home Page
To
NYCDOC
History Menu
To Correction
Chronicles
Starter Page
To
NYC DOC
Home Page
To NYC
LINK
Home Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: We gratefully acknowledge NYC DOC's permission to post here material used in creating the original version of the NYC DOC web page posted on NYC LINK.
-- Thomas McCarthy, NYCHS webmaster