The Woodhulls and the Pattersons, are two influential families in the Dayton, Ohio area. The first member of the Patterson family to come to the Miami Valley was Colonel Robert Patterson (1753-1827). His son Jefferson Patterson (1801-1863) and his wife Julia Johnston were the parents of John H. Patterson (1844-1922), of National Cash Register fame, and Stephen J. Patterson (1842-1915). Stephen and his wife, Lucy Dun, were the parents of Anne Love Patterson (1886-1943). Anne married Roger Woodhull. Together they were the parents of James M. Woodhull, who graduated from Yale University in 1942. James is the husband of Jean Verity, the donor of the collection.
From the guide to the Woodhull-Patterson Family Papers, 1872-2003, (Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)
