John Malcolm Patterson
John Malcolm Patterson ( born September 27, 1921 in Gold Ville, Randolph County, Alabama ) is a former American politician of the Democratic Party. He was from 1959 to 1963 Governor of the State of Alabama.
Early years and political rise
After he graduated in 1939 from Central High School in Phenix City, he joined the U.S. Army. During the Second World War, Patterson participated in seven campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Southern France and Germany. He was promoted to major shortly before his release, then went to the University of Alabama and received his Law Degree in 1949 there. He had been reactivated during the Korean War, then returned after the war ended in 1953 back to Phenix City, where he went into the law office of his father Albert. With a vow to do away with illegal gambling and crime in Phenix City, Albert Patterson won the Democratic nomination for the office of Attorney General. However, before he could assume office, he was assassinated. John replaced his father as the Democratic candidate, was elected attorney general and had the next four years held the office.
Governor of Alabama
On November 4, 1958 Patterson was elected with 88.2 percent of the vote to Republican William Longshore governor of Alabama and sworn in on 19 January 1959. During his tenure, additional funds for the support of the mentally ill were applied, bolstered pension benefits and the first school building program throughout the state approved, which had 700 new projects result. When State Highway Building and the Industrial Relations Building was begun with the construction, and carried out improvements to Alabama's port facilities and waterways. Furthermore, Huntsville was chosen as the seat of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and given the permit for a four-year highway construction project. In addition, the civil rights movement played a tumultuous role during his tenure. Governor Patterson was a strong supporter of state segregation position and ran with it again and again with the President John F. Kennedy regarding the operation of the Freedom Riders together.
Further CV
Patterson left on January 14, 1963 from his position and returned to his law practice in Montgomery. In 1966 he applied again for the Democratic nomination for governor, but finished second in the Primary only sixth place. In addition, he was a candidate in 1972 for the post of judge at the Supreme State Alabama Supreme Court and suffered against Howell Heflin also a defeat. Patterson was appointed in 1994 as a judge on the Court of Appeals of Alabama and remained there until his retirement in January 1997. Moreover, he was married twice and that with Mary Jo McGowin, and with Florentine Brachert Sawyer. The result of these compounds were three children.