Lucy Patterson

Lucy Patterson was the first African American woman elected to the Dallas City Council. Patterson was a social worker, politician, and professor.

Family life and education Lucy Pearl Phelps was born in Dallas, Texas, on June 21, 1931, to John C. and Florence Harllee Phelps. Her mother was a social worker for the Dallas Independent School District and was the first African American faculty member of the Graduate School of Social Work for the University of Texas at Arlington. Patterson attended Booker T. Washington High School from 1942 to 1945, graduating at 14 years old. She received a Bachelor's in Sociology and Psychology in 1950. On November 25, 1950, she married Albert S. Patterson of Trinidad, West Indies, also a Howard University student, and they moved to Dallas in 1954. Patterson died in Dallas on June 15, 2000, and is buried at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Dallas. Patterson was the first African American woman endorsed by the Citizen Charter Association (CCA), a council-manager system started in 1930 for improving city governments. Patterson was also endorsed by the political task force Women for Change, Inc., because she committed to "the involvement of more women in management and supervisory positions in the city government, including their appointment to boards and commissions". Patterson, possibly during a Dallas City Council Meeting, undated [ca. 1973–1980]The original election was April 4, 1973, with Patterson winning 21,733 votes, Smothers 13,788, Baccus 4,557, and Lott 4,404. None of the candidates reached the required majority (Patterson was the closest with 48% of the vote), causing a subsequent runoff election. There was speculation that a runoff would have been unnecessary had the election been held on a single-member district basis, with Patterson receiving close to 60% of the vote compared to Smothers 10.4%. Patterson's political focus included pursuing single-member districts, ensuring quality of life for citizens, supporting school busing, decentralizing the police force, and developing transportation opportunities.

The runoff election between Patterson and Smothers was held on April 18, 1973. Towards the end of the campaign, Smothers publicly claimed that Patterson "supported the hanging of Angela Davis' picture in public schools". Patterson won 15,051 votes and Smothers won 13,367, a close race evidenced in the difference of votes from varying precincts. The large number of Black voters at the polls are partially credited for Patterson's win, especially in South Dallas and Southeast Oak Cliff.

After her election, Patterson was appointed as an assistant professor at the North Texas State University. Patterson agreed to serve the rest of her term without receiving the weekly $50 pay, rejecting offers from the Pylon Salesmanship Club, an African American businessmen's organization, and other council members to pay her weekly salary. She served as a member of the city council for free rather than resigning the position.

Patterson ran for a second term in 1975 against Dan Thomas, a CCA advisor to mayoral candidate John Schoellkopf and a precinct chairman for Progressive Voters League, who filed three hours before the deadline. Patterson was endorsed by the CCA for a second term. She was also endorsed by the Dallas League of Conservation Voters, based on her record on key votes, answers to questionnaires, interviews, public statements, campaign platform and background, and the Neighborhood Conservation Alliance, based on her support for neighborhood quality, improvement, and equal distribution of plan commission members. Patterson won Place 8 with 4,184 votes to Thomas' 505. Patterson was the greatest percentage winner of all contested Dallas city council races, drawing 89.2% of the votes cast.

Patterson announced she would not seek a fourth term on the city council on January 12, 1979. This announcement came on the same day as Patterson losing a nomination 6–5 for the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport board to Bill Nicol.

Patterson served as the acting chair for the child advocacy community, advocating for accessible childcare facilities and specific guidelines for those facilities. Her ideas included 24-hour childcare facility for the Oak Cliff area, turning park recreation centers into daycare facilities for school children, and city-operated care centers paid for city officials. Patterson also served on the finance and inner-city committees. Patterson championed a program to find jobs for low-income youths in Dallas to keep them from dropping out of school.

During her second term, Patterson received a letter from Dallas Police Association President Lt. C.T. Burnley naming her the "policeman's adversary" after she expressed concern that the operating budget cut funds to police social service counseling programs while maintaining full funding of a 100-member tactical squad. Burnley charged that Patterson's remarks were inflammatory and incorrect. The DPA voted 158–16 in support of Burnley's comments and pledged to walk out on the job if he was suspended for his remarks. Burnley was cleared and no further action was taken. Patterson never publicly responded to the letter. Dallas City Council suggested that neighborhood groups instilling pride in neighborhood residences would fix the issue and allow for successful integration. Patterson advocated that neighborhood coalitions sponsored by the city as opposed to grassroots neighborhood coalitions would promote resistance to integration rather than stabilization.

Listed among her legislative accomplishments are the installation of sidewalks in Oak Cliff, revisions to strengthen Dallas's Fair Housing Ordinance, purposing a contract compliance ordinance requiring the hiring of minorities by contractors doing business with the city, the appointment of minorities to city boards and commissions, and an affirmative action plan. She lost with only 26% of the vote.

In 1985, Patterson was appointed to the National Afro-American History and Cultural Commission by President Ronald Reagan.

Community involvement Patterson was a caseworker for the Dallas County Department of Public Welfare for fifteen years.

Patterson was appointed an assistant professor at the North Texas State University in 1973. She left NTSU in 1978 when she was appointed to the Ethel Carter Branham Endowed Chair in Social Work to build a Social Work and Criminal Justice program at Bishop College.

Patterson was a part of the Altrusa Club of Dallas, National League of Cities, and Texas Municipal League.

She was the Director of the Dallas County Childcare Center.

Patterson was a part of the Women's Council of Dallas County which provided scholarships to students pursuing careers in human services.

In 1971, Patterson was made co-chair of the Crossroads Community Center.

In 1975, Patterson was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers for both her professional contributions and leadership and service to the community.

She was active in the Dallas County Department of Public Welfare, Dallas County Community Action Committee, League of Women Voters, and Planned Parenthood of Dallas.

Patterson received an award from the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce.