Edward J. Patten
Encyclopedia
Edward James Patten was an American
lawyer
and politician
. Patten, a Democrat
, represented the now-redistricted New Jersey's 15th congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
for seventeen years, lasting from 1963 until 1980.
. He attended Newark Normal School
and graduated from the school in 1927. That year, Patten also graduated Rutgers School of Law-Newark, and the following year, he graduated from Rutgers University
at its New Brunswick
campus. He was admitted to the bar in 1927 and began his law practice
in Perth Amboy
. He served as a public school teacher in the Elizabeth, New Jersey
school district until 1934. He then ran successfully for Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
and held that position until 1940. A year into his term as mayor, Patten became director and counsel of the Woodbridge National Bank, a position he would hold for twenty-seven years. After serving as mayor, Patten went on to become the county clerk for Middlesex County
for fourteen years, until 1954. He then served as New Jersey
's Secretary of State until 1962. That year, he won the Democratic primary over George Otlowski
and ran for the House of Representatives
seat for the new 15th congressional district
, which had been created as a result of 1960 census
data.
on January 3, 1961. Patten was again challenged by Rodgers in 1962, but Patten soundly defeated him again, after receiving 63.2% of the vote. Patten would be challenged and re-elected again in 1966 against C. John Stroumtsos, in 1968 against George W. Luke, in 1970 against Peter P. Garibaldi, in 1972 against Fuller H. Brooks, in 1974 against E. J. Hammesfahr, in 1976 against Charles W. Wiley and Independent Dennis Adams Sr., and finally in 1978 in another election against Charles W. Wiley. He was not a candidate for renomination in the 1980 United States House of Representatives
election for the 15th congressional district
.
In his time in Congress, Patten sponsored twenty-nine bills, all related to various purposes such as Social Security
, human rights
, and Medicare
. In 1978, Patten was accused of facilitating an illegal campaign contribution from a Korea
n businessman as part of the Koreagate
scandal. Patten was cleared of charges by an 8-0 vote of the House Ethics Committee in October of that year.
Patten fared far better than some of his counterparts, such as California
representative Richard T. Hanna
who was sentenced to six to thirty months in jail, and ended up serving one year in federal prison
. In the Democratic primary, he captured 59% of the vote in a race against political newcomer George Spadoro. In the 1978 election, he beat out Republican Charles Wiley by a slim 2,836 vote margin.
After politics, he continued to remain active in the various organizations he belonged to, such as the NAACP
, Eagles
, Elks
, Kiwanis
, Knights of Columbus
, and Moose International
. Patten was a resident of Perth Amboy
until his death on September 17, 1994 at the age of 89.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
. Patten, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, represented the now-redistricted New Jersey's 15th congressional district
New Jersey's 15th congressional district
New Jersey's Fifteenth Congressional District in the House of Representatives was a relatively short-lived district that was created after the 1960 Census and eliminated after the 1980 Census....
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for seventeen years, lasting from 1963 until 1980.
Background
Patten was born and attended public school in Perth Amboy, New JerseyPerth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
. He attended Newark Normal School
Kean University
Kean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
and graduated from the school in 1927. That year, Patten also graduated Rutgers School of Law-Newark, and the following year, he graduated from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
at its New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
campus. He was admitted to the bar in 1927 and began his law practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
in Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
. He served as a public school teacher in the Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
school district until 1934. He then ran successfully for Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey:*Wilda Diaz 2008 to present*Joseph Vas 2007 to 2008.*George John Otlowski 1976 to 1990.*James J. Flynn, Jr. 1950-1970.*Edward James Patten 1934 to 1940.*William C. Wilson 1921-1926.*U. B. Watson 1881....
and held that position until 1940. A year into his term as mayor, Patten became director and counsel of the Woodbridge National Bank, a position he would hold for twenty-seven years. After serving as mayor, Patten went on to become the county clerk for Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
for fourteen years, until 1954. He then served as New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
's Secretary of State until 1962. That year, he won the Democratic primary over George Otlowski
George Otlowski
George John Otlowski was an American publisher turned Democratic Party politician who served on the Middlesex County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders for eight years, in the New Jersey General Assembly for 18 years, and as Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey for...
and ran for the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seat for the new 15th congressional district
New Jersey's 15th congressional district
New Jersey's Fifteenth Congressional District in the House of Representatives was a relatively short-lived district that was created after the 1960 Census and eliminated after the 1980 Census....
, which had been created as a result of 1960 census
United States Census, 1960
The Eighteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 179,323,175, an increase of 18.5 percent over the 151,325,798 persons enumerated during the 1950 Census.-Census questions:...
data.
Politics
The Democratic Patten successfully ran the election, defeating Republican challenger Bernard F. Rodgers by nearly 20,000 votes. He was then elected into office for the 88th United States Congress88th United States Congress
The Eighty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1965, during the last year of...
on January 3, 1961. Patten was again challenged by Rodgers in 1962, but Patten soundly defeated him again, after receiving 63.2% of the vote. Patten would be challenged and re-elected again in 1966 against C. John Stroumtsos, in 1968 against George W. Luke, in 1970 against Peter P. Garibaldi, in 1972 against Fuller H. Brooks, in 1974 against E. J. Hammesfahr, in 1976 against Charles W. Wiley and Independent Dennis Adams Sr., and finally in 1978 in another election against Charles W. Wiley. He was not a candidate for renomination in the 1980 United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
election for the 15th congressional district
New Jersey's 15th congressional district
New Jersey's Fifteenth Congressional District in the House of Representatives was a relatively short-lived district that was created after the 1960 Census and eliminated after the 1980 Census....
.
In his time in Congress, Patten sponsored twenty-nine bills, all related to various purposes such as Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
. In 1978, Patten was accused of facilitating an illegal campaign contribution from a Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n businessman as part of the Koreagate
Koreagate
"Koreagate" was an American political scandal in 1976 involving South Korean political figures seeking influence from 10 Democratic members of Congress. An immediate goal of the scandal seems to have been reversing President Richard Nixon's decision to withdraw troops from South Korea...
scandal. Patten was cleared of charges by an 8-0 vote of the House Ethics Committee in October of that year.
Patten fared far better than some of his counterparts, such as California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
representative Richard T. Hanna
Richard T. Hanna
Richard Thomas Hanna was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in Kemmerer, Wyoming, Hanna graduated from Pasadena Junior College, Pasadena, California. He received his B.A. and LL.B. from the University of California, Los Angeles, California. He was a lawyer in private practice...
who was sentenced to six to thirty months in jail, and ended up serving one year in federal prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. In the Democratic primary, he captured 59% of the vote in a race against political newcomer George Spadoro. In the 1978 election, he beat out Republican Charles Wiley by a slim 2,836 vote margin.
After politics, he continued to remain active in the various organizations he belonged to, such as the NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
, Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles International is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington by a group of six theater owners including John Cort , brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry Leavitt , Mose Goldsmith and Arthur Williams...
, Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
, Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
, Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, and Moose International
Moose International
Moose International is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, consisting of the Loyal Order of Moose, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 2,400 Lodges, in all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda; and the Women of the Moose with more than...
. Patten was a resident of Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
until his death on September 17, 1994 at the age of 89.
External links
- Edward James Patten at The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...