Samuel L. Patterson

Samuel Legerwood Patterson (March 6, 1850 – September 14, 1908) was a North Carolina politician and farmer.

Samuel L. Patterson
7th North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
In office 1899–1908
Appointed by	State Board of Agriculture
Preceded by	John R. Smith
Succeeded by	William A. Graham
4th North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
In office 1895–1897
Preceded by	John Robinson
Succeeded by	James M. Mewborn
Member of the North Carolina State Senate
In office 1893–1893
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
In office 1899–1900
Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
In office 1891–1891
Personal details
Born	Samuel Legerwood Patterson (1850-03-06)March 6, 1850 Caldwell County, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	September 14, 1908(1908-09-14) (aged 58) Caldwell County, North Carolina, U.S.

Biography

The son of Samuel F. Patterson and his wife, Phoebe Caroline, Patterson was born in 1850 at Palmyra, the family plantation in Caldwell County, North Carolina.^[1]

He served in the state House of Representatives in 1891 and 1899 and in the North Carolina Senate in 1893. In the legislature, he was chair of the committee on agriculture. He was also a trustee of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Patterson was appointed commissioner of agriculture from 1895 to 1897, when he was removed by the fusion of Republicans and Populists that came to power that year. He was reappointed in 1899 and then became the first popularly elected commissioner in 1900. He served until his death on September 14, 1908.^[2] Patterson Hall at North Carolina State University is named in his honor. He and his wife bequeathed Palmyra to the Episcopal Church as a school, which operated as The Patterson School from 1909 through 2009.

References

1. Ashe, Samuel A'Court; Weeks, Stephen B.; Van Noppen, Charles L., eds. (1905). Biographical History of North Carolina from Colonial Times to the Present. Vol. II. Charles L. Van Noppen. pp. 343–351. Retrieved August 3, 2020 – via Google Books.
2. "Samuel L. Patterson". The Henderson Gold Leaf. September 17, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved August 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

• Inventory of the Jones and Patterson Family Papers
• Patterson School closed for 2009-2010 school year
• Patterson Hall is 100 years old

Political offices
Preceded by John Robinson	North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture 1895 – 1897	Succeeded by James M. Mewborn
Preceded by John R. Smith	North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture 1899 – 1908	Succeeded by William A. Graham