Commander William D. Patterson was
born on May 3, 1895, in Neosho, Wisconsin. He attended the University
of Wisconsin.
Commander Patterson was appointed as one of the original members
of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey commissioned service in
1917. During his 30-year career, he served aboard numerous ships
including the EQUATOR (wire drag), the EXPLORER as Watch Officer
and later as Executive Officer, the FATHOMER, PATHFINDER, MARINDUQUE,
BACHE as 2nd Officer and later as Executive Officer, the HYDROGRAPHER
as Executive Officer, the SURVEYOR, the MARINDUQUE as Commanding
Officer, the OCEANOGRAPHER as Executive Office, the GUIDE and
the PIONEER as Commanding Officer. He received his Chief Mate's
license any ocean, any tonnage, on December 10, 1927. While
in command of the PIONEER during the years 1940 and 1941, he
was successful in extending the scheme of triangulation in the
vicinity of Yunasaka, Seguam, Amlia, and Atka Island, Aleutian
Chain, Territory of Alaska. Other assignments included Wire
Drag Parties in Alaska, Coast Pilot Division, and construction
of several Magnetic and Seismology Observatories in Tucson,
Arizona, Sitka, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Fairbanks, Alaska.
At the time of his retirement March1, 1948, he was assigned
to the San Francisco Field Station. He held membership in the
American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Association
for the Advancement of Science and authored numerous sections
of the U.S. Coast Pilot.
Commander Patterson's wife, the former Julia C. Gross, died
March 18, 1975. He is survived by his three children--two sons,
Robert A., and Omar, and one daughter, Juliet M. Hinnenberg.
NOAA CORPS BULLETIN, 6/1/1984
