Jerry M. Patterson

Jerry Mumford Patterson (October 25, 1934 – November 8, 2024) was an American lawyer, educator and Democratic Party politician who represented California in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985. He was elected from the state's 38th congressional district, consisting of urban portions of Orange County, including his hometown of Santa Ana, where he served as a city councilman from 1969 to 1973 and mayor between 1973 and 1975.

He was the first member of the Democratic Party to be elected from a district entirely within Orange County.

Early life, education, military service Born in El Paso, Texas, Patterson graduated from Tucson High School in Tucson, Arizona in 1952. He served in the United States Coast Guard from 1953 to 1957. Patterson received his BA from California State University, Long Beach in 1960. He completed 30 units of graduate work at the University of Southern California School of Public Administration in 1961 to 1963, then went on to UCLA School of Law where he earned his J.D. degree in 1966.

Legal and political career Patterson was admitted to the California bar in 1967 and commenced practice in Santa Ana. He was a Santa Ana city councilman from 1969 to 1973. He was concurrently the mayor of Santa Ana and the city attorney of Placentia from 1973 to 1975.

House of Representatives Congressman Patterson was the first Democrat to be elected to Congress from a district entirely within Orange County, California. He served five terms from January 3, 1975, until January 3, 1985, when he lost his reelection bid to Bob Dornan.

In Congress, he served as chairman of the Select Committee on Committee Reform from March 20, 1979 to April 30, 1980, and chaired the House Subcommittee on International Development Finance in the Ninety-seventh and Ninety-eighth Congress. Patterson was also a member of the United States House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families.

He worked on legislation promoting banking transparency, in addition to his focus on refugee issues, particularly those impacting Vietnamese refugees following the Vietnam War.

Post-congressional career Patterson resumed the practice of law in Costa Mesa in 1986. He was a professor at California State University, Long Beach from 1986 to 1999. He became the city attorney of Cypress in 1987, Dana Point, California in 1989 and Lake Forest, California in 1991. Patterson retired from his law practice in 1997 and has been president of his own public affairs consulting firm since 1998. Patterson continued to be an educator, community activist and member of nonprofit boards and commissions.

Local public office In 1996 Patterson returned to elective office when he won a seat on the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees where he served on the college board for Orange Coast College, Golden West College and Coastline Community College.

During his time on the Santa Ana Council, Patterson led the effort to establish a federal courthouse in the community, make improvements to the regional transportation system, and enclose the Santa Ana River.

Personal life and death Patterson lived in Fountain Valley, with his wife, Linda Moulton-Patterson. They had four adult children and six grandchildren.

Patterson died on November 8, 2024, two weeks after his 90th birthday.

Electoral history