Patterson, Jerry M., 1934-

Jerry M. Patterson was born October 25, 1934 in El Paso, Texas.

He received a Juris Doctor from UCLA Law School in 1966 and opened a private law practice in 1967 in Santa Ana. He was elected to the Santa Ana City Council in 1969 and served as mayor of Santa Ana from 1973 to 1974. In 1974 Patterson was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, where he represented California's 38th Congressional District. While a Congressman he served on the Select Committee on Committees, the Select Committee on Aging, and the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families. He introduced the Housing Piracy Prevention Act and the Olympic Coin Act, and championed the creation of the Orange County National Urban Park. Patterson served for five terms, losing his seat to Republican Robert K. Dornan in 1984. In 1996, Patterson was elected a trustee of the Coast Community College District in Orange County, California.

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