Ellis E. Patterson

Born in Yuba City, California, Patterson attended public schools and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an A.B. in 1921. He served as a seaman in the United States Navy during World War I^[1] and later in the United States Merchant Marine. He taught school in Colusa County, California from 1922 to 1924.^[2]

From 1923 to 1932, Patterson served as the district superintendent of schools for South Monterey County, California. He also studied law at Stanford University and the University of California from 1931 to 1936. He was admitted to the bar in 1937 and commenced law practice in Sacramento and Los Angeles.^[3]

Patterson served as a member of the California 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 a write-in campaign and won the election.^[3] Originally elected as a Republican, Patterson switched his party affiliation to Democratic after becoming enamored with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.^[3]

After gaining publicity for his write-in Assembly campaign, Patterson was elected Lieutenant Governor of California in 1938,^[5] serving from 1939 to 1943. He was defeated for reelection in 1942.^[6] In 1940, he was an unsuccessful candidate for United States Senate, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent Republican Hiram Johnson.^[7]

During the 1940 Democratic Party presidential primaries in California, Patterson headed a slate pledged to himself for president.^[8] They opposed incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt on the grounds he was focusing too much on foreign affairs and not enough on domestic unemployment.^[9] Among the Patterson slate's candidates were State Assemblymen Ralph C. Dills and Paul A. Richie, journalists Carey McWilliams and Frank Scully, labor leaders Germain Bulcke and Herbert Sorrell, Los Angeles County SRA director Sam Houston Allen,^[1] and Los Angeles Board of Education member Fay E. Allen. The Patterson slate lost to Roosevelt's by a margin of fifteen to one.^[10]

Congress

Patterson was elected as a Democrat to the 79th United States Congress in 1944. In 1946, 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 the 81st United States Congress in 1948, running as a Democratic supporter of Progressive Henry 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 Republican Donald L. Jackson. In 1949, Patterson ran for mayor 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 the American 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]