Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TH E ranli SOiCaro 13SC Ca p * 2920$ Nolo U Ca-r CCa south . VOL. LXV No. 43 UN) Y OF's UTH CAROLINA, COLUMBIA, S.C. 29208 January 31, 197 William H. Patterson Why Did Tom There are far too many questions A News An surrounding Tom Jones' resignation Thursday to chalk them up to pure coin cidence. Not only was the entire matter overly secretive. The Gamecocl handled in a completely hush-hush story early in the evening, as did manner, but the sudden selection of papers and radio stations. How William Patterson as president was the attempts to confirm or expand culmination of 72 hours that had been futile, as administrators aw cloaked with secrecy. members alike seemed stran Not that the selection of Patterson disposed. should be questioned. He has ably served So the only story received by t the University since 1943 and in the was in high praise of Jones, telli process has gained a great deal of respect brilliant career at Carolina. and admiration. As Jones was out of town at tt But why was his election so cut-and- press conference was set up for dried? A simple chronology of the morning. Jones was composed, weekend events makes this problem even himself very well. He denied th more complex. To begin with, The bein forced from the presiden Gamecock got a call early Sunday from an ayhat rbeso oi administrator who said the biggest story in btos 10 years was about to hit the school. It Hoer,tesckrflw would be released some where in the seilBadmeigys vacinity of 7 p.m.tenninteofcofTEsn1 A quick call to Sig Huitt of Information cara fteUCBado Services was of little benefit, though he did Zaenas,hdofUCI say the story dealt with one of the Sevcsfrnlstedhha University's major personalities. That whtheBad asgigo narrowed the field to either Jones or Paul oulndaltepsiltesfw Dietzel.hapniasiutoliets;t Hluitt was caught in his office at about whtetoapitrelca 2:30 Sunday afternoon, and though he did ourgtorochseaelt say t wa abut Jnes hetillremined wioejo it wudminstrtor fin Patterson To Succe BY TOMMY FOWLER Dr. William H. Patterson, University of South Carolina provost, was elected unanimously yesterday by the USC Board of Trustees to succeed Thomas F. Jones as permanent president, effective July 1, 1974. Board chairman T. Eston Marchant an nounced Patterson's election at a press conference following the closed executive session meeting of the Board in Marchant's office. Marchant said the Board also "regretfully accepted" Jones' resignation and approved for him the position of Distinguished Professor of the University. This was followed by action to establish "an organizational-structural committee" under Marchant to study possible future ad ministration reorganization. Speaking of Patterson, Marchant said, "The best qualified man was right under our noses, so to speak." Marchant said he did not have prior knowledge of Jones' resignation and said he did not know any member of the board that did. Patterson's election follows the resignation of USC President Thomas F. Jones earlier this week. Jones' resignation is effective June 30, 1974, according to a letter submitted to the Board by Jones. The president-elect.6 e,said he had no prior notice of being named to the top ad ministrative position. Since coming to Carolina in 1943, Patterson lones SteF alysis By Doug Williams L got the candidate. But Knauss said he di the local know. ver, any Around this time, a woman h it were Kanous an envelope. She told h I Board contained the "bio" materials. gely in- Huitt and Knauss sat around for 20 minutes, casually talking and ie media with the press. When tele ng of his cameramen came in, they were tok would probably be having to taki e time, a sequence shots, one of Marchant an Tuesday of Patterson. The question of lightin handling placement of the two men was then t it he was discussed. y, denied Shortly, Marchant entered his i ical am- which was doubling as a press room f occassion. He said the Board regr4 3d at the accepted Jones' resignation, an' rday af- pounded momentarily on other re archant, but unimportant matters. The Trustees. dropped the bombshell that Patterst formation been elected president by a 19-0 vote. I no idea Mungo said afterward that it was do. He the smoothest Booard meetings h hat might attended; one of the few where ther e story of total unanimity among the Board. president Patterson got in front of the cai on team, atnd said he had known about the sel Selected edJones has held high positions in the administrations of four USC presidents: Norman M. Smith, Donald S. Russell, Robert L. Sumwalt and Thomas F. Jones. He was assistant to thc president from 1950-52; dean of ard ministration, 1952-61; dean of the University, 1961-66; and senior vice-president from 1966 until being redesignated as provost in 1968. Patterson has served as secretary of the Board of Trustees since 1964. He also taught in the USC College of Engineering and the Department of History. Patterson received a Ph.D. in history from USC in 1952 and has done other graduate work at the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University. Students honored Patterson in 1960 by dedicating the "Garnet and Black" yearbook for that year to him. In 1971, he was named "Administrative Citizen of the Year" by the USC chapter of the American Assoc. of University Professors. Dr. Patterson is listed in "Who's Who in America," "Who's Who in the South and Southwest," and the "Directory of American Scholars." Born in Charleston, April 10, 1913, Patterson has lived in Columbia since early childhood. He is married to the former Mary Alice Copeland of Timmonsville. Patterson is also a member of Kappa Sigma Kappa; the American, Mississippi, Valley, Southern and South Carolina historical associations; S.C. Society of Engineers; Society for the History of Technology; Railway and Locomotive Historical Society > Down? Board, he is present at all meetings). He said he had no foreknowledge of the ac tion; no indication whatsoever. Then Knauss who had no knowledge of the events either,began to d not pass out some information. It came from the envelope that contained "bio" inded material. Included was a picture of im it Patterson and a two-paged, type-written biographical sketch of Patterson. about So the saga ends...so it seems. But too joking many questions still exist. 'ision First and obviously, it appears that I they Patterson's selection was accomplished a two mighty quickly in view of the fact that d one Jones' letter of resignation was dated Jan. g and 24 and as late as Monday, Board members riefly were in some disagreement as to what kind of person would succeed him: The ffice, Columbia Record carried an article where or the educators, out-of-staters and corporation ~tfully presidents were all .mentioned as the Iex- president-type. Yet the choice of Pat lated, terson was uncontested. n he Then, to go back to.the story's beginning, n had why was Information Services being Mike secretive? Keep in mind that Sunday is a me of slow news day for most papers, and Huitt e had said the statement was not for release until e was 11 p.m. As stated, administrators were hard to find Sunday night, and the late. reras release time made it difficult for any ofcthe (See JONES,Page 7)