James W. Patterson
Encyclopedia
James Willis Patterson was a United States Representative and Senator
from New Hampshire
.
, he pursued classical studies, graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1848, and was principal of the Woodstock Academy in Connecticut
for two years. He attended the Theological Seminary at New Haven, Connecticut
, studied law, and was a professor of mathematics, astronomy, and meteorology at Dartmouth College from 1854 to 1865.
Patterson was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
in 1862, and was elected as a Republican
to the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1863 - March 4, 1867). He was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1867, to March 4, 1873; while in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Enrolled Bills (Forty-first Congress) and a member of the Committee on the District of Columbia (Forty-first and Forty-second Congresses). He was a regent
of the Smithsonian Institution
and in 1877-1878 was again a member of the State house of representatives. He was State superintendent
of public instruction from 1881 to 1893, and president of American Institute of Instruction. He died in Hanover, New Hampshire
, in 1893; interment was in Dartmouth Cemetery.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
Biography
Born in HennikerHenniker, New Hampshire
Henniker is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 4,836. Henniker is home to New England College, Ames State Forest and Craney Hill State Forest....
, he pursued classical studies, graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1848, and was principal of the Woodstock Academy in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
for two years. He attended the Theological Seminary at New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, studied law, and was a professor of mathematics, astronomy, and meteorology at Dartmouth College from 1854 to 1865.
Patterson was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
New Hampshire House of Representatives
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state, created from divisions of the state's counties. On average, each legislator represents about 3,300...
in 1862, and was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1863 - March 4, 1867). He was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1867, to March 4, 1873; while in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Enrolled Bills (Forty-first Congress) and a member of the Committee on the District of Columbia (Forty-first and Forty-second Congresses). He was a regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and in 1877-1878 was again a member of the State house of representatives. He was State superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of public instruction from 1881 to 1893, and president of American Institute of Instruction. He died in Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
, in 1893; interment was in Dartmouth Cemetery.