William Burns Paterson

William Burns Paterson was an educator and horticulturist.[1] He is chiefly known as an educational provider, being involved in establishing Alabama State University.[2] He was a Democrat, a Presbyterian, and a charter member of the Alabama State horticultural society.

William Burns Paterson
President of Alabama State University
In office
1878–1915
Preceded byGeorge N. Card
Succeeded byWilliam Beverly
Personal details
Born(1850-02-09)February 9, 1850
Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland
Died(1915-03-16)March 16, 1915
Montgomery
Spouse(s)Margaret Bingham

Early life

William was born 9 February 1850[3] (some sources 1849), at Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, son of John and Janet (Burns) Paterson, of Tullibody. His father was a Balman (sometimes called a "ball man" or "pot still man")[4] to trade at Glenochil Distillery. He is also recorded as having worked as a gardener[5] at Tullibody House.[6] He died when William was still young.[7] He was a lineal descendant of John, brother the poet Robert Burns. He had three years in the elementary schools of Scotland. In youth he was employed on the estate of Lord Abercrombie, located near Tullibody, and here he acquired that great love for flowers which played so important a part in his life. His was impressed by David Livingstone and considered working in Africa himself.[8] Tickets out of Scotland were expensive; he made it to America, in 1867, by working on the voyage as a deck-hand on a freight ship bound for New York.[9] Around 1869 he came to America, landing in New York; and after various experiences through the north and middle west, he drifted south to do construction work on a railroad being built out of Selma. He often walked long distances to find work.[10] He was variously employed: as a driver on the Erie Canal, in the Washington Navy Yard, on an Alabama railroad and on the Black Warrior River working as a dredger.[11]

Educational provider

In the early part of 1870 he opened a school for negroes near the McFadden plantation in the vicinity of Greensboro. From 1871 to 1879 he conducted Tullibody Academy[12] for negroes at Greensboro, named after his home village. In the latter year he moved to Marion, where he became president of the Lincoln Normal University for Colored Students.[13] Here he remained several years, at the same time agitating in favour of State support. He finally succeeded in 1889, in securing an appropriation and also legislative authorization for relocation. Montgomery was selected, despite opposition from several including Booker T. Washington, and Mr. Paterson opened the school in the Beulah Baptist church under the name of State Normal School for Colored Students.[14] He successfully presided over this institution as long as he lived. He overcame opposition to his plans, and vindicated his position in favour of public support.

Horticulture

In 1890 he opened up a floral establishment, known as Rosemont Gardens, which grew from a 16 x 50 foot greenhouse to an area of about five acres.

Personal life
Maggie Flack Paterson

Married: June 5, 1879, at Selma, to Margaret Bingham, daughter of Newton R. and Annie (Bingham) Flack. Mrs. Paterson, a teacher, was a graduate of Oberlln college and a native of Canfield, Ohio, she was of Irish descent.

Children:

  • 1. Annie Janet, m. Rupert D. Wilson;
  • 2. William Burns, Junior m. Carrie Burton McDade. He was a sportsman and business leader. Paterson Field is a baseball stadium opened in 1949 Montgomery, Alabama and is named after him;[15]
  • 3. James Porter, m. Ha Watson;
  • 4. John Haygood, m. Lucy Benton Young. He was two-time state commissioner for agriculture;
  • 5. Wallace Bruce, m. Alice Ckty.

He died of heart failure at 10 a.m. 16 March 1915, at Montgomery.[16] Paterson had no regrets about his career. He wished his epitaph to be, " 'He taught Negroes fifty years.' " Paterson was only five years away from this goal when he died.[17]

Legacy

Alabama State University Founder's Day is celebrated on William Burns Paterson's birthday on 9 February. It has been remembered every year since 1901.[18] The university has a "Spirit of Tullibody Award" to honour the brave and forward-thinking spirit of Paterson by making civil contributions.[19] Paterson was honoured by George Reid in the Scottish Parliament on 11 September 2002 emphasising his dealings with the Ku Klux Klan.[20] One of Paterson's favourite poems was "What I Live For"[21] by George Linnaeus Banks.[22] Some of his correspondence with Booker T. Washington has been published.[23] Photographs of him still exist; one is found in a book by Charles William Dabney.[24] Paterson himself compiled a list of around 1000 of the graduates and their occupations.[25]

Bird's Eye View of Montgomery in 1887, Alabama

References
  1. The Gardeners' chronicle : a weekly illustrated journal of horticulture and allied subjects. London: Gardeners Chronicle. 1874. p. 211. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  2. "History of Alabama State University". Levi Watkins Learning Center. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  3. Owen, Thomas McAdory; Owen, Marie Bankhead (1921). History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke publishing company. p. 1325. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  4. A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921. Ministry of Labour. 1927. p. 228. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  5. Bakonyi, Rajmund (6 February 2019). "Tracing the descendants of Tullibody's famous son". Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  6. "Tullibody House". CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  7. Burns, Ashleigh (17 April 2016). "William Burns Paterson, born in Tullibody in 1849, helped to champion education in Alabama". Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  8. Sherer, Robert G. (1930). "William Burns Paterson: "Pioneer as well as Apostle of Negro Education in Alabama". The Alabama Historical Quarterly. 36 (2: summer 1974): 21–50. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  9. "William Burns Paterson". Tullibody History Group. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  10. Obituary. Chicago: The Florists' Review. 1915. p. 52. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  11. Forsyth, Valerie (23 May 2018). "Walk in the Past: The Tullibody educator who took on the Ku Klux Klan". Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  12. C.L.A.S.S. Public Relation Committee. Class Dispatch - Spring 2016 (2nd ed.). Alabama State University. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  13. "Alabama State University, A Time Line". Levi Watkins Learning Center. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  14. Brooks, F. Erik. "Alabama State University (ASU)". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  15. "William Burns Paterson Died Of Heart Attack At Capitol". Dr Miraculous. The Tuscaloosa News. October 18, 1954. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  16. The Florists' exchange : a weekly medium of interchange for florists, nurserymen, seedsmen and the trade in general (v.39 1915 ed.). New York, N.Y.: A.T. De la Mare Ptg. and Pub. Co. 1888. p. 669. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  17. Sherer, Robert G. (1930). "William Burns Paterson: "Pioneer as well as Apostle of Negro Education in Alabama". The Alabama Historical Quarterly. 36 (2: summer 1974): 49. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  18. "Dr William Burns Paterson". Old Tullibody. Angel Fire. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  19. "The 2019 Spirit Awards". Alabama State University. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  20. "Meeting Of The Parliament Wednesday 11 September 2002 (Afternoon)". Her Majesty‟s Stationery Office. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  21. Andrews, William (1888). North country poets : poems and biographies of natives or residents of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Durham, Lancashire and Yorkshire ... : (modern section) (Vol 1 ed.). London: Simpkin. p. 49. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  22. Moore, Deborah Hayes (28 February 2015). "Roasted and toasted: Foundation honors 'citizen servant'". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  23. Booker T. Washington Papers Volume 3: 1889-95. Assistant Editors, Stuart B. Kaufman and Raymond W. Smock. University of Illinois Press, 1974. April 1974. ISBN 9780252004100. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  24. Dabney, Charles William (1936). Universal education in the South, by Charles William Dabney ... (Vol 2 ed.). Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 434–435. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  25. Dabney, Charles William (1936). Universal education in the South, by Charles William Dabney ... (Vol 2 ed.). Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 439–443. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
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