John Malcolm Patterson
Encyclopedia
John Malcolm Patterson (born September 27, 1921) is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Alabama
, from 1959 to 1963. Previously he served as State Attorney General
(1954–1959).
Most recently, he presided over former state Chief Justice Roy Moore
's appeal against his removal from office.
. He joined the US Army
in 1939 and served in the North African, Sicilian
, Italian, Southern France, and German campaigns of World War II. In 1945, he left the Army as a major, and obtained an LL.B. degree from the University of Alabama
, but was recalled to active duty in the Army from 1951 to 1953 in the Korean War
. After his military service, Patterson joined the law practice of his father, Albert Patterson
.
As Attorney General, Patterson worked against organized crime
, but his activities against the civil rights movement
gained more attention. He managed to ban the NAACP from operating in the state of Alabama, and blocked the black community's boycotts in Tuskegee
and Montgomery
. With backing from the Ku Klux Klan
, Patterson defeated a young George Wallace
, backed by the NAACP in the Democratic primaries and was elected Governor in 1958, making him the youngest governor in Alabama history, and the first to move directly from the post of Attorney General to Governor. His defeat of George Wallace is often credited with turning Wallace from a civil rights supporter to an ardent segregationist.
policies, Patterson instigated the expulsion of black students for staging a sit-in at Alabama State University
, and defended Alabama's voter registration
policies against federal criticism. He withheld police protection for interracial bus riders who were staging a "Freedom Ride
" from Washington D.C. to New Orleans, and many of the riders were badly beaten by white mobs at the Birmingham
bus station due to Patterson's deliberate neglect. Subsequent freedom riders were guaranteed safe passage only with the intervention of then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
's office through future Supreme Court Justice Byron White
's initiative.
During Governor Patterson's tenure, the Alabama legislature approved greatly increased funding for highway and school construction, and provided additional funding for facilities for the mentally ill
. Programs to improve Alabama's waterways and docks were expanded. Laws curtailing loan sharking were passed. In 1960, NASA
designated Huntsville, Alabama
as the site for the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.
In 1960, Patterson was an active supporter of Senator John F. Kennedy
's presidential candidacy.
against Fidel Castro
's new government in Cuba
, during the JFK presidential campaign. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
informed the governor, whom he knew from military service in World War II, about the operation and asked for use of the Alabama Air National Guard aircraft. These were used to transport Cuban emigres to training grounds in Nicaragua
and also during the invasion itself. Patterson also informed presidential candidate John F. Kennedy
, thinking that the invasion would benefit Kennedy's Republican opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon
. He then worked towards setting the operation for a date after the elections in November.
, who subsequently became governor.
In 1972, he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for the post of Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court.
In 1984, Patterson was appointed to the State Court of Criminal Appeals, where he remained until his retirement in 1997.
In 2003, Patterson was appointed chief justice of a Special Supreme Court that tried the case of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore
, who appealed his removal from office after he had refused to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments
from the courthouse despite orders from a federal court judge to do so, he protested this decision. The special court ruled that Moore's removal was legal.
A 90-minute documentary film on John Patterson was completed in 2007 by Alabama filmmaker Robert Clem. Entitled John Patterson: In the Wake of the Assassins, the film features an extended interview with Patterson himself as well as interviews with journalists, historians and such key figures as John Seigenthaler
, aide to Robert Kennedy at the time of the Freedom Rides.
An authorized biography of John Patterson entitled "Nobody but the People", written by historian Warren Trest, was published in 2008 by New South Books. The book chronicles the life of Alabama's youngest Governor.
Alabama gubernatorial election, 1966
Election of Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
, 1970:
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, from 1959 to 1963. Previously he served as State Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
(1954–1959).
Most recently, he presided over former state Chief Justice Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Stewart Moore is an American jurist and Republican politician noted for his refusal, as the elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the state courthouse despite orders to do so from a federal judge...
's appeal against his removal from office.
Early life and career
Patterson was born in Goldville, AlabamaGoldville, Alabama
Goldville is a town in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, United States. The population was 37 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. He joined the US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1939 and served in the North African, Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italian, Southern France, and German campaigns of World War II. In 1945, he left the Army as a major, and obtained an LL.B. degree from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, but was recalled to active duty in the Army from 1951 to 1953 in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. After his military service, Patterson joined the law practice of his father, Albert Patterson
Albert Patterson
Albert Patterson was an attorney in Phenix City, Ala. He was assassinated outside of his law office shortly after he won the Democratic nomination for Alabama Attorney General on a platform of reforming the rife corruption and vice in Phenix City.-Personal life:Patterson was born in the New Site...
.
Attorney General of Alabama
In 1954, Patterson's father was nominated for Attorney General on a platform promising to clean up crime, but was shot to death in June 1954. John Patterson replaced his father on the Democratic ticket in a special election, and was elected to the post of Attorney General.As Attorney General, Patterson worked against organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, but his activities against the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
gained more attention. He managed to ban the NAACP from operating in the state of Alabama, and blocked the black community's boycotts in Tuskegee
Tuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history....
and Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. With backing from the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, Patterson defeated a young George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
, backed by the NAACP in the Democratic primaries and was elected Governor in 1958, making him the youngest governor in Alabama history, and the first to move directly from the post of Attorney General to Governor. His defeat of George Wallace is often credited with turning Wallace from a civil rights supporter to an ardent segregationist.
Governor of Alabama
Patterson served as Alabama governor during the first half of the centennial of the Civil War. Patterson's clashes with the civil rights movement continued during his tenure as governor. A supporter of the state's segregationistRacial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
policies, Patterson instigated the expulsion of black students for staging a sit-in at Alabama State University
Alabama State University
Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :...
, and defended Alabama's voter registration
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
policies against federal criticism. He withheld police protection for interracial bus riders who were staging a "Freedom Ride
Freedom ride
Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Court decisions Boynton v. Virginia and Morgan v. Virginia...
" from Washington D.C. to New Orleans, and many of the riders were badly beaten by white mobs at the Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
bus station due to Patterson's deliberate neglect. Subsequent freedom riders were guaranteed safe passage only with the intervention of then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
's office through future Supreme Court Justice Byron White
Byron White
Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
's initiative.
During Governor Patterson's tenure, the Alabama legislature approved greatly increased funding for highway and school construction, and provided additional funding for facilities for the mentally ill
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. Programs to improve Alabama's waterways and docks were expanded. Laws curtailing loan sharking were passed. In 1960, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
designated Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
as the site for the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.
In 1960, Patterson was an active supporter of Senator John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's presidential candidacy.
Role in the Bay of Pigs invasion
According to investigative reporter Seymour M. Hersh, Patterson played an important role in preparations for the Bay of Pigs InvasionBay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
against Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's new government in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, during the JFK presidential campaign. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
informed the governor, whom he knew from military service in World War II, about the operation and asked for use of the Alabama Air National Guard aircraft. These were used to transport Cuban emigres to training grounds in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and also during the invasion itself. Patterson also informed presidential candidate John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, thinking that the invasion would benefit Kennedy's Republican opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. He then worked towards setting the operation for a date after the elections in November.
Failed election bids
In 1962, the Constitution of Alabama prevented Patterson from seeking a second term and instead his previous opponent George Wallace was elected. In 1966, when Wallace could not seek a second term either, Patterson made another bid for the Democratic nomination but was defeated by Wallace's wife LurleenLurleen Wallace
Lurleen Brigham Wallace , born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was the 46th Governor of Alabama from 1967 until her death in 1968. She was the first wife of Alabama Governor George Wallace, whom she succeeded as governor. She succeeded her husband as he was forbidden by Alabama law to succeed himself. She...
, who subsequently became governor.
In 1972, he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for the post of Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court.
Later life
In the late 1970s, Patterson taught American Government at Troy State University.In 1984, Patterson was appointed to the State Court of Criminal Appeals, where he remained until his retirement in 1997.
In 2003, Patterson was appointed chief justice of a Special Supreme Court that tried the case of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Stewart Moore is an American jurist and Republican politician noted for his refusal, as the elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the state courthouse despite orders to do so from a federal judge...
, who appealed his removal from office after he had refused to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
from the courthouse despite orders from a federal court judge to do so, he protested this decision. The special court ruled that Moore's removal was legal.
A 90-minute documentary film on John Patterson was completed in 2007 by Alabama filmmaker Robert Clem. Entitled John Patterson: In the Wake of the Assassins, the film features an extended interview with Patterson himself as well as interviews with journalists, historians and such key figures as John Seigenthaler
John Seigenthaler
John Lawrence Seigenthaler is an American journalist, writer, and political figure. He is known as a prominent defender of First Amendment rights....
, aide to Robert Kennedy at the time of the Freedom Rides.
An authorized biography of John Patterson entitled "Nobody but the People", written by historian Warren Trest, was published in 2008 by New South Books. The book chronicles the life of Alabama's youngest Governor.
Electoral history
Alabama gubernatorial election, 1958:- Democratic primary:
- John Malcolm Patterson – 196,859 (31.82%)
- George WallaceGeorge WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
– 162,435 (26.26%) - Jimmy FaulknerJimmy FaulknerJimmy Faulkner was one of Ireland's top guitarists, who in a four-decade career played with many of Ireland's leading rock, blues, folk and jazz musicians....
– 91,512 (14.79%) - A.W. Todd – 59,240 (9.58%)
- Laurie Battle – 38,955 (6.30%)
- George Hawkins – 24,332 (3.93%)
- C.C. Owen – 15,270 (2.47%)
- Karl Harrison – 12,488 (2.02%)
- Billy Walker – 7,963 (1.29%)
- W.E. Dodd – 4,753 (0.77%)
- John G. CrommelinJohn G. CrommelinRear Admiral John Geraerdt Crommelin, Jr. was a prominent United States Navy officer and later a frequent political candidate who championed white supremacy.-Early life and naval career:...
– 2,245 (0.36%) - Shearen Elebash – 1,177 (0.19%)
- James Gulatte – 798 (0.13%)
- Shorty PriceShorty PriceRalph "Shorty" Price, was an attorney and perennial political candidate from the state of Alabama, mostly noted for his colorful "clown" persona....
– 655 (0.11%)
- Democratic primary runoff:
- John Malcolm Patterson – 315,353 (55.74%)
- George WallaceGeorge WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
– 250,451 (44.27%)
- General election:
- John Malcolm Patterson (D) – 234,583 (88.22%)
- William Longshore (R) – 30,415 (11.44%)
- William JacksonWilliam Jackson-In politics:*William Jackson , US Congressman from Massachusetts*William Jackson , Secretary to the Philadelphia Convention and member of the U.S. Continental Army...
(I) – 903 (0.34%)
Alabama gubernatorial election, 1966
- Democratic primary:
- Lurleen WallaceLurleen WallaceLurleen Brigham Wallace , born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was the 46th Governor of Alabama from 1967 until her death in 1968. She was the first wife of Alabama Governor George Wallace, whom she succeeded as governor. She succeeded her husband as he was forbidden by Alabama law to succeed himself. She...
– 480,841 (54.10%) - Richmond Flowers – 172,386 (19.40%)
- Carl A. Elliot – 71,972 (8.10%)
- Bob Gilchrist – 49,502 (5.57%)
- Charles WoodsCharles WoodsCharles Woods was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II...
– 41,148 (4.63%) - John Malcolm Patterson – 31,011 (3.49%)
- Jim FolsomJim FolsomJames Elisha Folsom, Sr. , commonly known as Jim Folsom or "Big Jim", was the 42nd Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama from 1947 to 1951, and again from 1955 to 1959. Born in Coffee County, Alabama, Folsom is perhaps best remembered as being among the first Southern governors to embrace...
– 24,145 (2.72%) - A. W. Todd – 9,013 (1.01%)
- Sherman Powell – 7,231 (0.81%)
- Eunice Gore – 1,589 (0.18%)
- Lurleen Wallace
Election of Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...
, 1970:
- Democratic primary:
- Howell HeflinHowell HeflinHowell Thomas Heflin was a United States Senator from Tuscumbia, Alabama, and a member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
– 550,997 (65.71%) - John Malcolm Patterson – 287,594 (34.30%)
- Howell Heflin