All in the family

here’s no such thing as a ‘generation gap’ in the Patterson family. When Marie Duncan Patterson ’36 attended the school in the ’30s she never imagined she was starting a Patterson family tradition of graduating from Rowan and becoming teachers. “I’m very proud of my son and granddaughter,” said Marie.

Prouder still is her son, Gary Patterson ’69, a biology professor at the University. “My mother was the first member of the family to attend college,” said Gary. “She was a definite influence on me to pursue a career in education.”

And even though Amy Patterson ’98 received numerous scholarship opportunities from other colleges, she chose her father’s and grandmother’s alma mater. “I wanted to be a teacher and stay in New Jersey,” said Amy, “so Rowan was perfect.”

For Gary, his mother began what he hopes is a long legacy of Patterson teachers and Rowan graduates.

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