Ellis E. Patterson | |
|---|---|
 Pattersonc. 1938 | |
| 33rd Lieutenant Governor of California | |
| In office January 2, 1939 – January 4, 1943 | |
| Governor | Culbert Olson |
| Preceded by | George J. Hatfield |
| Succeeded by | Frederick F. Houser |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's16th district | |
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Will Rogers Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Donald L. Jackson |
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the35th district | |
| In office January 2, 1933 – January 2, 1939 | |
| Preceded by | Roy Bishop |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Weybret |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ellis Ellwood Patterson (1897-11-28)November 28, 1897 Yuba City, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 25, 1985(1985-08-25) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican(before 1937) Democratic(after 1937) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children |
|
| Education | |
| Profession | Attorney,politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy United States Merchant Marine |
| Years of service | 1918 |
| Rank | Seaman |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Ellis Ellwood Patterson (November 28, 1897 – August 25, 1985) was an Americanattorney andpolitician who served as the 33rdlieutenant governor of California from 1939 to 1943. He previously served in theCalifornia State Assembly from 1933 to 1939, and later in theU.S. House of Representatives from 1945 to 1947.
Born inYuba City, California, Patterson attended public schools and graduated from theUniversity of California, Berkeley with anA.B. in 1921. He served as a seaman in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War I[1] and later in theUnited States Merchant Marine. He taught school inColusa County, California from 1922 to 1924.[2]
From 1923 to 1932, Patterson served as the district superintendent of schools for SouthMonterey County, California. He also studied law atStanford University and theUniversity of California from 1931 to 1936. He wasadmitted to the bar in 1937 and commenced law practice inSacramento andLos Angeles.[3]
Patterson served as a member of theCalifornia State Assembly for the 35th district from 1931 to 1939.[4] In 1936, after being defeated in the primaries in his second re-election bid, Patterson waged awrite-in campaign and won the election.[3] Originally elected as aRepublican, Patterson switched his party affiliation toDemocratic after becoming enamored with PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt'sNew Deal.[3]
After gaining publicity for his write-in Assembly campaign, Patterson was electedLieutenant Governor of California in1938,[5] serving from 1939 to 1943. He was defeated for reelection in1942.[6] In1940, he was an unsuccessful candidate forUnited States Senate, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent RepublicanHiram Johnson.[7]
During the1940 Democratic Party presidential primaries in California, Patterson headed a slate pledged to himself for president.[8] They opposed incumbentFranklin D. Roosevelt on the grounds he was focusing too much onforeign affairs and not enough ondomestic unemployment.[9] Among the Patterson slate's candidates were State AssemblymenRalph C. Dills andPaul A. Richie, journalistsCarey McWilliams andFrank Scully, labor leadersGermain Bulcke andHerbert Sorrell, Los Angeles CountySRA director Sam Houston Allen,[1] andLos Angeles Board of Education memberFay E. Allen. The Patterson slate lost to Roosevelt's by a margin of fifteen to one.[10]
Patterson was elected as a Democrat to the79th United States Congress in1944. In1946, he did not seek reelection for his House seat, but instead ran once again unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate, losing the Democratic primary to his predecessor in the House,Will Rogers Jr.[11]
Patterson was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the81st United States Congress in1948, running as a Democratic supporter ofProgressiveHenry A. Wallace for president. He won the nomination of the Independent Progressive Party through California's cross-filing system, but lost the general election to incumbent RepublicanDonald L. Jackson. In1949, Patterson ran formayor of Los Angeles, coming in third place with 14% of the vote.[12] Afterward, he resumed the practice of law.
Patterson married Helen Hjelte in 1928, with whom he had three children.[13] They were married until her death in 1982,[14] after which he took a second wife, Mildred.[3]
Patterson was active in theAmerican Legion,[1] serving as commander of the Colusa County post.[2]
Patterson resided in Los Angeles from 1938 until he died of cancer there on August 25, 1985.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ellis E. Patterson | 105,835 | 54.1 | |
| Republican | Jesse Randolph Kellems | 89,700 | 45.9 | |
| Total votes | 195,535 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald L. Jackson | 78,264 | 53.9 | |||
| Democratic | Harold Harby | 45,951 | 31.7 | |||
| Democratic | Ellis E. Patterson (inc.) (write-in) | 20,945 | 14.4 | |||
| Total votes | 145,160 | 100.0 | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald L. Jackson (inc.) | 121,198 | 57 | |
| Democratic | Ellis E. Patterson | 91,268 | 43 | |
| Total votes | 212,466 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Media related toEllis E. Patterson at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 16th congressional district January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
