John M. Patterson
John Malcolm Patterson (September 27, 1921 – June 4, 2021) was an American politician. He served one term as Attorney General of Alabama from 1955 to 1959, and, at age 37, served one term as the 44th Governor of Alabama from 1959 to 1963.
John M. Patterson | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1959 | |
| 44th Governor of Alabama | |
| In office January 19, 1959 – January 14, 1963 | |
| Lieutenant | Albert Boutwell |
| Preceded by | Jim Folsom |
| Succeeded by | George Wallace |
| 36th Attorney General of Alabama | |
| In office January 17, 1955 – January 19, 1959 | |
| Governor | Jim Folsom |
| Preceded by | Bernard Sykes |
| Succeeded by | MacDonald Gallion |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Malcolm Patterson September 27, 1921 Goldville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2021 (aged 99) Goldville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Gladys Broadwater
(m. 1942; div. 1945)Mary Jo McGowin
(m. 1947; div. 1975)Tina Sawyer (m. 1975) |
| Education | University of Alabama (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 1951–1953 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
His turbulent tenure as governor was roiled by numerous civil rights protests and a long-running extramarital affair with Tina Sawyer, a mother-of-two who would eventually become his third wife. Patterson sought and ran with the support of the Ku Klux Klan when he won the governorship of Alabama in 1958. As governor, he was staunchly pro-segregation. He expressed regret for this position later in life.
Patterson came to wider attention in the mid-1950s when he and his father Albert (who was murdered in 1954) fought against criminal organizations who controlled the town of Phenix City, Alabama. In 2003, Patterson was the presiding judge over former Chief Justice Roy Moore's appeal against his removal from the Alabama Supreme Court.