The William J. Patterson Papers are represented by correspondence, memoranda, and diaries kept by Patterson. Because Mr. Patterson had previously organized his files to some extent, his papers do not follow true chronological arrangement in this collection.
Correspondence between 1939 and 1953, when he was Commissioner, remains grouped alphabetically, with chronological order being followed in each group. All other correspondence and papers are grouped by subject, those concerning a particular subject being arranged chronologically. Letters from Patterson are filed under the addressee's name; all other letters are filed under the writer's name except in special cases noted, or are stapled to other letters to which they are most closely related.
The Patterson correspondence is composed chiefly of official and semiofficial letters written during his 39 years with the ICC. Of the personal letters contained in the collection, most are associated with railroad men and their work, or with persons interested in other phases of transportation. The correspondence as a whole falls into two periods, 1914-1939, when Patterson was in the Bureau of Safety of the ICC; and 1939-1953, when Patterson was a Commissioner with the ICC.
The diaries of 1901 and 1913 cover dates when Patterson was working for railroads in the Dakota area and the Southwest; diaries and appointment books subsequent to 1914 record his movements about the country, first as a railroad safety inspector for ICC, then as Director of the Bureau of Safety, and finally as a Commissioner. The diaries covering dates when Patterson attended the ILO Inland Transport Committee sessions in Europe (December, 1945; May, 1947; May, 1949; and December, 1951) contain many references to appointments he made and people he met or with whom he had business. Diaries of these dates also make reference to subcommittees organized at the sessions, and U.S. representatives on these committees.
Because of his official position in connection with railroads, Patterson often corresponded with other people of importance, particularly in government affairs. Letters to and from General Carl R. Gray, a personal friend, were frequent during 1944 through 1945 when General Gray was Director General of Military Railway Service in Europe. The collection contains a letter from President Harry Truman (January 16, 1953) complimenting Patterson on his long service to the ICC. Letters from men such as Dean Acheson, Alben Barkley, Burton K. Wheeler, and Henry L. Stimson will be found in “Correspondence, 1939-1953.”
