Obie Patterson is an American politician who represented district 26 in the Maryland House of Delegates

Maryland House of Delegates

The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

 and is a past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...

.

Background

Patterson born in Lancaster, South Carolina

Lancaster, South Carolina

Lancaster is a city in Lancaster County, South Carolina which is in the United States and is located 35 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina and 20 miles east of Rock Hill, South Carolina. As of the United States Census of 2010, the city population was 10,160. It is the county seat of...

 on March 7, 1938. He attended Johnson C. Smith University

Johnson C. Smith University

Johnson C. Smith University is a private, co-ed, four-year liberal arts institution of higher learning located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. JCSU is also a historically black college...

 in Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

 where he earned a B.S. in biology in 1965. Patterson earned a master's degree at the University of Florida

University of Florida

The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

 in public administration in 1971. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Johnson C. Smith University. Polemarch

Polemarch

A polemarch was a senior military title in various ancient Greek city states . The title is composed out of the polemos and archon and translates as "warleader" or "warlord", one of the nine archontes appointed annually in Athens...

, Kappa Alpha Psi

Kappa Alpha Psi

Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...

 fraternity, 1993-94. Member, Pi Sigma National Honor Society. Life member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Member, Roscoe C. Cartwright Prince Hall Masons, Lodge #129. President, Apple Grove-Squire Woods Civic Association, 1993-94. Board of Directors, Prince George's Volunteer Action Center. Award, United Negro College Fund. Award for Outstanding Service in Politics, Prince George's County Educators' Association, 1999. Patterson has three children.

In the legislature

Patters was a member of House of Delegates from January 11, 1995 to January 10, 2007. He has served as: Assistant Majority Leader, 2006-07. Member, Commerce and Government Matters Committee, 1995-98 (vice-chair, transportation subcommittee, 1995-98); Special Committee on Rail Mergers, 1997; Ways and Means Committee, 1999-2007 (education subcommittee, 1999-2000; tax & revenue subcommittee, 2001-03; chair, election law subcommittee, 2003-07); Joint Committee on Protocol, 1999-2007; Joint Committee on the Selection of the State Treasurer, 2003. Deputy Majority Whip, 2003-05. Member, Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, 2003-07; Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, 2004-07. Chair, County Affairs Committee, Prince George's County Delegation, 1999-2007. During his entire tenure in the General Assembly, Patterson was a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...

(formerly Maryland Legislative Black Caucus), and was its treasurer from 1998 to 2002 and its chairman from 2002 to 2004).