William Oliver Patterson ’32

BILL PATTERSON, of Wayzata, Minn., died there on Dec. 14, 1989, of complications resulting from heart failure and emphysema. His wife of 57 years, the former Elizabeth Florence, survived him by only a few days.

Bill's entire business life was spent with the Patterson Dental Supply Co., founded more than a century ago by his great-grandfather and expanded greatly under Bill's guiding hand to become one of the leading dental supply firms in the U.S. He started at the bottom, packing cartons, but rose quickly to become C.E.O. His great energy and his imaginative flair for business were recognized early. When he was only 35 he became president of the Y.P.O., a national association of young businessmen who, as heads of corporations, were emerging as leaders of U.S. industry. Bill remained a prominent player in his field all his life, and served a term as president of the Dental Trade Assn. During WWII he tried three times to enter the service but was turned down because his work as a manufacturer of machine gun parts was considered essential.

Ever interested in doing and learning, Bill was an experienced pilot and flew his own plane for many years. He also became fascinated by computers, and at his death had a roomful of them. "He was not shortchanged by life," said his son John, who survives him, as do two daughters, Judith Thompson and Margaret Sweeney, ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. The latter entitled him to our Methuselah Trophy, which he held during the last year of his life. Our sympathies go to them all in the passing of this multi-talented man.