Patterson, Willis C.

Willis C. Patterson was born in Ann Arbor on November 27, 1930, and graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1949. After serving in the Air Force between 1949-1952 he earned bachelor and masters of music degrees from the University of Michigan in 1958 and 1959, respectively. In 1993, he earned his doctorate in higher education leadership from Wayne State University.

After teaching at Southern University (Louisiana) and Virginia State College, Patterson joined the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music in 1968, becoming its first (and, for a time, only) African-American professor. He served as professor of voice and from 1979 to 1998, was associate dean for academic affairs. Between 1969 and 1975, Patterson was also the Professional Director of the Men's Glee Club. In summer months, Patterson was part of the faculty at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. While at the University of Michigan, Patterson organized a Black American Music Symposium and compiled an "Anthology of Art Songs by African-American Composers" that is still widely used by musicians and students.

Patterson served as president of the National Association of Negro Musicians and as Executive Secretary of the National Black Music Caucus. He served as president of VIDEMUS, a nonprofit arts organization committed to producing concerts, programs, and recordings of the concert music of African-American, women and under- represented composers. He was the founder of the "Our Own Thing" chorale, an Ann Arbor choral organization, and provider of free music lessons for promising Ann Arbor youth for more than 30 years. He also served as leader of the African-American Endowment Fund. In his honor, the Friends of the Pioneer Choirs have annually endowed the Willis C. Patterson Award to outstanding African-American members of the school's choir since 2005. (http://pioneer2.aaps.k12.mi.us/choir/pattersonaward.html, accessed in October 2009) Patterson served as a minister of music for the Second Baptist Church and the First Methodist Church in Ann Arbor.

Patterson performed extensively in the U.S. and Europe and appeared as bass soloist with major American orchestras. He was a Fulbright Fellow studying in Germany and a winner of the Marian Anderson Award for young singers. Patterson appeared as King Balthazar on NBC-TV in its landmark production of Menotti's opera Amahl and the Night Visitors (1963), which aired for eight straight years on the network and was committed to vinyl. He also had professional roles in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess , Beethoven's Fidelio and Puccini's La Boheme . He was the conductor for a BBC-TV special and a Philips recording featuring Jessye Norman singing spirituals and again collaborated with Norman on Great Day in the Morning , a musical based on spirituals.

Patterson officially retired from active teaching in 1999 and was accorded emeritus status at the University of Michigan School of Music.

From the guide to the Willis C. Patterson papers, 1952-1999, 1967-1979, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)