J.E. "Pat" Patterson

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Jacob E. "Pat" Patterson
Mayor of Minden, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA
In office 1974 – 1978
Preceded by	Tom Colten
Succeeded by	Jack Batton
Born	1924 Webster Parish
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Sadie Grace Chanler Patterson
Children	Connie Patterson (1948-2007); aka Carmen Valerie Patterson Yocom Paul, wife of Stephen Ralph Paul Ricky G. Patterson (1951-1978) Tanua Patterson Riley (born ca. 1962)
Occupation	Businessman
Religion	Pentecostal
(1) A successful businessman, Patterson was elected mayor of Minden in his first bid for office, having handily unseated the Republican incumbent, Tom Colten. (2) Rather than seek a second term as mayor, Patterson sought to fill an opening in the Louisiana House of Representatives in a special election held on November 7, 1978. (3) The day before the special House election, Patterson’s only son, Ricky G. Patterson, was shot to death.

Jacob E. Patterson, known as J.E. “Pat” Patterson (born 1924), is a businessman who served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, for a single term from 1974-1978.

Patterson, whose business interests once included Tidecraft boats, announced his mayoral candidacy in 1974, when it had appeared that the incumbent Repubican, Tom Colten, would not seek a third term. At the time, the office of mayor was under the city commission format, but by the end of the term to which Patterson would be elected, the city charter was altered to the mayor-council system. In 1973, Colten had proposed converting the full-time mayoral position to part-time so that he could accept a paid position with Minden’s private hospital. The council refused to approve such a change to benefit one individual. Colten first said that he would not run again for mayor but then changed his mind. For the first time ever, a full Republican slate filed for all municipal positions in the historically Democratic city.

Patterson defeated Colten, 3,186 (62.5 percent) to 1,914 (37.5 percent). ^[1] Not long afterwards, Colten relocated to Baton Rouge, where he subsequently accepted a position with the Department of Transportation and Development. Along with Patterson’s election, a Republican, Felix Garrett (1922–1987), a university professor, won election as the city’s last public utilities commissioner, having unseated the incumbent Fred T. “Tony” Elzen, by a 7-3 margin.^[1] By 1978, the city council seats were allocated along single-member district lines, and Garrett became the first Republican on the revamped city council.

Patterson did not seek reelection in 1978. Instead, he ran in a special election for Louisiana House of Representative District 10 seat vacated by R. Harmon Drew, Sr., who was elected to his former position as Minden city judge. Patterson ran third in the special election held on November 7, 1978. His 2,687 votes were 102 short of procuring a runoff election berth.^[2]The seat went to fellow Democrat Bruce M. Bolin. The day before the state House election, Patterson’s son, Ricky G. Patterson (1951-1978), was shot to death under questionable circumstances.^[3]

In 1982, Patterson tried to regain the mayor’s office but ran third in the jungle primary. His 1,207 votes were 239 short of the number needed to procure a general election berth against the eventual winner, fellow Democrat Noel "Gene" Byars, an educator.^[4] The incumbent, Jack Batton, did not seek a second term.

Patterson is married to the former Sadie Grace Chanler (born ca. 1928). The couple also had a daughter, Connie Patterson, thereafter Carmen Valerie Patterson Yocom Paul (1948-2007), a businesswoman who died in heart surgery. She was the widow of Robert Thomas “Tommy” Yocom, II (1947-1983), and thereafter married Stephen Ralph Paul.^[5] A second daughter is Tanua Patterson Riley (born ca. 1962) and husband, Keith R. Riley, of Minden. Patterson is Pentecostal.

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