Robert Porter Patterson Sr. (February 12, 1891 – January 22, 1952) was an American judge who served as Under Secretary of War under President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

and U.S. Secretary of War under President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

. He was a US circuit judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory covers the states of Connecticut, New York (state), New York, and Vermont, and it has ap ...

after he had been a

district judge District Judge may refer to: * A United States federal judge, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate * A judge in a state court (United States), where the state is divided into judicial districts * * A judge in the district courts ...

of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York Ci ...

Education and career

Born on February 12, 1891, in

Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a City (New York), city in Warren County, New York, Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls, New York metropolitan area, Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,83 ...

, the son of Lodice Edna (née Porter) and Charles Robert Patterson, Patterson received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1912 from

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

and a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1915 from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

. He entered private practice in New York City from 1915 to 1916, with what today is the law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, also serving with that firm in subsequent periods of private practice. He served in the

New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximate ...

from 1916 to 1917. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

from 1917 to 1919, attaining the rank of

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. He received the Distinguished Service Cross and

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

for heroism in France. Patterson served in the 306th Infantry Regiment which was assigned to the 77th Infantry Division. He returned to private practice in New York City from 1919 to 1930.

Federal judicial service

Patterson was nominated by President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

on April 24, 1930, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Thomas D. Thacher. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on May 13, 1930, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 22, 1939, due to his elevation to the Second Circuit. Patterson was nominated by President

on February 9, 1939, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Martin Thomas Manton. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 20, 1939, and received his commission on March 21, 1939. His service terminated on July 30, 1940, due to his resignation.

War Department service

Patterson served as a

United States Assistant Secretary of War The United States assistant secretary of war was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of Augus ...

in 1940. He served as United States Under Secretary of War from 1940 to 1945 under Secretary Henry L. Stimson. He was instrumental in the mobilization of the armed forces preparatory to and during World War II. President

appointed Patterson as

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Sec ...

in 1945. Truman initially was set to offer Patterson a seat on the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

which was left vacant by Justice Owen J. Roberts, however, with the resignation of Henry L. Stimson, Patterson instead became the Secretary of War. Patterson advocated unifying the armed services (army and navy) and having a single chief of staff. Steps to this effect were begun by the

National Security Act of 1947 The National Security Act of 1947 (Act of Congress, Pub.L.]80-253 61 United States Statutes at Large, Stat.]495 enacted July 26, 1947) was a law enacting major restructuring of the Federal government of the United States, United States governmen ...

and revised several times, finally by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. Patterson worked to promote more black participation and promotion with in the military, specifically during the late stages of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was instrumental in creating an African-American fighter group, known now as the

Tuskegee airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...

. While sympathetic to black grievances, aspirations, and recommendations he was concerned that radical change would impede military preparedness during war. After the war the "Board for Utilization of Negro Manpower" (or Gillem Board). released a report, "Utilization of Negro Manpower in the Postwar Army Policy", in April 1946. that was signed off by Patterson: it recommended the retention of segregation, as that was a policy external to the military, but that the military introduce equal opportunity, as that would be the best use of military manpower. Patterson served until 1947.

Later career

After declining an offer by President Truman to be reappointed to his former judgeship, Patterson returned to private practice in New York City from 1947 to 1952. Later he became the President of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and the President of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

. Governor Thomas E. Dewey appointed Patterson along with New York City’s construction coordinator

Robert Moses Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid-20th century. Moses is regarded as one of the most powerful and influentia ...

and former Justice Charles C. Lockwood as a member of the Temporary Long Island Railroad Commission, installed after the Richmond Hill train crash on November 22, 1950, that claimed 79 lives.Dewey Names 3 Men to Study 'All Aspects' of the L.I. Road
The New York Times, November 26, 1950 The Commission recommended the state purchase and operation by non-profit public authority of the railway service.Dewey Asks State Control of Long Island Road
''Geneva Daily Times'', March 8, 1951

Personal life

On January 3, 1920, Patterson married Margaret Tarleton Winchester (1897–1988); they had four children: Robert P. Patterson, Jr., Aileen Patterson Seldes, Susan H. Patterson and Virginia Patterson Montgomery. Robert P. Patterson Jr. was a federal judge in the Southern District of New York from 1988 until his death in 2015.

Death

Patterson died on January 22, 1952, returning from meeting a client, onboard American Airlines Flight 6780 which crashed on the approach to Newark Airport in Elizabeth,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

; he was age 60.

Works

In 2012, the University of Tennessee Press published ''The World War I Memoirs of Robert P. Patterson: A Captain in the Great War,'' edited by J. Garry Clifford. In 2014, the University of Tennessee Press published his previously unpublished 1947 memoir ''Arming the Nation for War'', with a foreword by Robert M. Morgenthau, former Manhattan district attorney, and edited by Brian Waddell, associate professor at the University of Connecticut. * ''The World War I Memoirs of Robert P. Patterson: A Captain in the Great War'' (2012) * ''Arming the Nation for War: Mobilization, Supply, and the American War Effort in World War II'' (2014)

Legacy

In 1953, Union College named liberal arts scholarships in the memory of Patterson. An army reserve building on the Bronx campus of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

was named after Patterson in 1953.

References

Sources

* Eiler, Keith. (1997) ''Mobilizing America: Robert P. Patterson and the War Effort, 1940–1945''. Cornell University Press.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Robert P. 1891 births 1952 deaths People from Glens Falls, New York Lawyers from New York City Military personnel from New York (state) United States Army personnel of World War I Union College (New York) alumni Harvard Law School alumni Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York United States district court judges appointed by Herbert Hoover Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt United States secretaries of war Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) United States Army officers Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1952 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Accidental deaths in New Jersey Presidents of the New York City Bar Association Truman administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians Tuskegee Airmen United States Assistant Secretaries of War Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler people Phi Delta Theta members