William Penn Patrick

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For other individuals of the same name, see William Patrick.
William Penn Patrick
Born 1930
Died June 9, 1973
Lakeport, California, USA
Cause of death Plane crash
Residence San Rafael, California
Occupation Businessman
Known for Owner, Holiday Magic, Leadership Dynamics, Mind Dynamics
Political party Republican

William Penn Patrick was an American entrepreneur and businessman. He was the owner of Holiday Magic, Leadership Dynamics, and Mind Dynamics. Patrick was a proponent of the sour grapes philosophy, and has been widely quoted as stating: "Those who condemn wealth are those who have none and see no chance of getting it."[1]

Patrick tried unsuccessfully to get into a career in politics, first running against Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination for governor of California, and was later nominated by the California Theocratic Party for Vice President of the United States.

Patrick died in 1973, when his private plane crashed in Lakeport, California.

Contents

[edit] Political career

Patrick sought out the Republican nomination for governor of California, in 1966[2]. Patrick alleged that a pollster, Mervin Field, had accepted money to influence a poll in the campaign[3]. Mervin Field sued Patrick for libel, for damages of USD$4 million, and was awarded USD$300,000[3]. Patrick later lost the nomination, to Ronald Reagan[4]. The New Republic described Patrick's campaign strategy as that of "out-Reaganing Ronald Reagan"[5]. In 1967, Patrick formed a fundraising group to run for Thomas Kuchel's Senate seat[6]. Patrick was later nominated for Vice President of the United States, in 1967[7], by the California Theocratic Party[8]. The Los Angeles Times referred to Patrick as the "strangest politician"[9]. He was mainly popular among ultraconservative and ultraright political circles in California[10].

[edit] Businessman

Patrick began his experience in sales selling products door-to-door in Illinois[11]. He was the owner of companies including Leadership Dynamics, a controversial company which was the first form of Large Group Awareness Training[12], and Holiday Magic, a door-to-door cosmetics company[13] later termed by the United States Federal government to be fraudulent[14][15]. Mind Dynamics was initially founded by Alexander Everett, and Patrick backed the company before buying it[16][17]. Patrick's companies were later investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission[15] , on allegations of pyramid schemes[18]. Leadership Dynamics folded amidst lawsuits and allegations of physical and sexual abuse[19].

William Penn Patrick died on June 9, 1973, in a plane crash of his private plane[15][20] in Lakeport, California[21]. A certified pilot, he was flying the plane at the time of the crash. He was 43[21].

[edit] In popular culture

  • Pressure Points, a 2001 novel by Larry Brooks, one of the book's protagonists asserts that the programs developed by Werner Erhard, William Penn Patrick, and Alexander Everett all came from the same source[22].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Parkinson, Judy; Adam Hart-Davis, Foreword (2000). From Hue & Cry to Humble Pie: Curious, Bizarre, and Incomprehensible Expressions Explained. Michael O'Mara Books, Page 153. ISBN 0760735816. 
  2. ^ Staff. "Coast Candidate In Harlem to Ask Advice on Watts", The New York Times, The New York Times Company, May 26, 1966, pp. Page 36. 
  3. ^ a b Staff. "Pollster Gets $300,000 in Libel Case", The Washington Post, July 24, 1970, pp. Section: General. 
  4. ^ Nofziger, Lyn; Gaylord B. Parkinson, William E. Roberts, Stuart K. Spencer, Gabrielle S. Morris, Sarah Lee Sharp (1980). Issues and Innovations in the 1966 Republican Gubernatorial Campaign: Interviews. Bancroft Library Regional Oral History Office, Governmental History Documentation Project, Page 8. 
  5. ^ Kopkind, Andrew. "Brennan v Tigar.", The New Republic, August 27, 1966. 
  6. ^ Staff. "2d Rightist May Try for Kuchel Seat", The Washington Post, June 24, 1967. 
  7. ^ Kane, Joseph Nathan (1981). Facts about the Presidents: A Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information. H. W. Wilson, Page 272. 
  8. ^ Goldinger, Carolyn (1991). Presidential Elections Since 1789. Congressional Quarterly, inc., Page 91. ISBN 0871876094. 
  9. ^ Staff. "Strangest Politician", The Los Angeles Times, August 16, 1967. 
  10. ^ Turner, William W. (1971). Power on the Right. Ramparts, 79, 124. 
  11. ^ Pressman, Steven (1993). Outrageous Betrayal: The Dark Journey of Werner Erhard from est to Exhile. St. Martin's Press, Chapter: A Door to Door Mind Salesman. 
  12. ^ Kilzer, Lou. "Desperate Measures Network of Behavior Modification Compounds Known as Teen Help Has Straightened Out Hundreds of Defiant Adolescents, But Its Methods Aren't For the Faint-hearted.", Rocky Mountain News, E. W. Scripps Company, July 18, 1999. 
    "The first of the genre psychologists call "large group awareness training" was the Leadership Dynamics Institute..."
  13. ^ Simon, Jane Fitz. "The Video Salesman Entrepreneur Sees Gold Mine in Selling Informational Videotapes Door-to-Door", The Boston Globe, July 5, 1988. 
  14. ^ Staff. "Battling the Biggest Fraud", Time, July 16, 1973, pp. 2 pgs.. 
    William Penn Patrick, a former mentor of Turner's, was charged last month by the Securities and Exchange Commission with bilking some 80,000 people out of more than $250 million through his Holiday Magic cosmetics and soap empire.
  15. ^ a b c 84 F.T.C. 748, IN THE MATTER OF HOLIDAY MAGIC, INC., ET AL. ORDER, ETC., IN REGARD TO ALLEGED VIOLATION OF SEC. 5 OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT AND SEC. 2(a) OF THE CLAYTON ACT, Docket 8834., Complaint, Jan. 18, 1971, Decision, Oct. 15, 1974.
  16. ^ Bartley, William Warren (1988). Werner Erhard: The Transformation of a Man the Founding of EST. Clarkson Potter, Page 177. ISBN 0-517-53502-5. 
  17. ^ Lande, Nathaniel (1976). Mindstyles, Lifestyles: A Comprehensive Overview of Today's Life-changing Philosophies. Price/Stern/Sloan, 143. 
  18. ^ Staff. "Judge Clouds Future of Surviving Pyramid", The Washington Post, March 25, 1976. 
  19. ^ Langone, Michael (1989). "Beware of `New Age’ Solutions to Age Old Problems". Business and Society Review 69: Pages 39–42. 
  20. ^ Staff; Associated Press. "Rites for Cosmetics Maker Slated Today in California", The Washington Post, June 12, 1973, pp. Obituaries. 
  21. ^ a b Staff; Associated Press. "Millionaire In Cosmetics Dies in Crash", The Washington Post, June 10, 1973. 
  22. ^ Brooks, Larry (November 29, 2001). Pressure Points. Onyx, Page 77. ISBN 0451410017 , ISBN 978-0451410016. 

[edit] External links