A Legacy of Leadership

The name Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson isn’t regularly mentioned among the giants of Iowa State University but he created a lasting legacy in higher education. After Patterson (’27) graduated with a DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine, he taught at Tuskegee Institute where he became the third president of the historical black college, at the age of 33. His legacy of leadership though extended beyond Tuskegee where he started the School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1944, he founded the United Negro College Fund, a program that continues to this day and administers 10,000 scholarships annually. Patterson was honored for his lifetime of leadership and success in the educational field in 1987 when he was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan.