In this story of Pat Patterson—civil rights pioneer and Wells Fargo banker—I told in Part 1 and Part 2 about his role in the 1960 lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Sharon)
In an oral interview from 1989, with William Link at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Robert “Pat” Patterson revealed that while growing up in Laurinburg he had not been very active in Civil Rights. Although a member of the NAACP, it wasn’t until Patterson graduated high school that he began to think about his future, what he was going to do.
That year (1959), professional opportunities for African Americans did exist, albeit confined to Black communities. Patterson’s parents did not have the resources to send him to school to become a doctor or lawyer, and he knew that he did not want to teach. He did like the idea of moving north to pursue the career he did want—engineering. But there were no black engineers working for companies in the south, “and there sure weren’t any black bankers.” Patterson chose North Carolina A&T because of its well-known engineering program.
Growing up in a small town, where violence against Blacks was still fairly common, Patterson’s parents had taught him to “not rock the boat,” to keep his head down. When he got to the larger city of Greensboro, and began to become more aware of the world around him and his place in it, he found it more difficult to keep his head down. His awareness of the Civil Rights movement led to his role in the sit-ins in Greensboro.
But eventually, Patterson said, activism was taking time away from why he went to college. His parents had told him as much; but of course, he said, no one listens to their parents! It wasn’t until one of his professors sat him down after class one day and said, “Pat, I admire you for what you’re doing and it needs to be done. But you are going to open up doors you’re not qualified for.”
Fifty years later Patterson still remembers that conversation and the moment he made a decision about his future. When he finished college, he was going to focus on his career the first 5 to 10 years. He lessened activity in the movement, not out of fear that it would injure his career opportunities but because he made a commitment to himself and his goals. Patterson told me he thinks there are some who haven’t forgiven him for the decision, but he believed he could effect change in ways besides protesting.
Patterson joined the Audit Dept. at Wachovia Bank, and began his career commuting to Winston-Salem from Greensboro, 70 miles roundtrip. He promised himself that he would go into everyday open-minded, not assuming that every situation and disagreement had to do with prejudice. Patterson knew he was a trailblazer, and he knew that many other people would be affected, positively or negatively, by how he carried himself.
“Being the first—I can’t pop off at everything and read race into it. I need to know all the facts before.” He worked with two other staff members and had only “a couple of clashes, but I never read anything into it.”
Patterson was offered a transfer to a branch in Greensboro a few months later. He took the job; he really wanted to transfer because he didn’t like the commute!
Patterson became the first African American in Greensboro to be elected Assistant Vice President and hold a middle management position at a major bank. The funny thing about that is he didn’t know it. He knew he had been given the promotion but he said he had no idea he was the first in Greensboro until he opened the newspaper one morning and saw an article that said so! Patterson isn’t so sure he was the first at Wachovia, because he personally knew one or two others in Winton-Salem.
He went on to become the branch manager, and from there moved into Small Business Lending, just beginning at that time to gain steam at Wachovia. He was a great manager, and it was noticed. Patterson went go on to manage four different branches in Greensboro, each a little larger than the one before.
When I asked him about the response from white customers he told me a story of his foray into the Commercial Platform Dept. People he dealt with there were not accepting, did not trust him with their financials, and refused to take his advice. He soon requested a transfer back to retail banking where he was able to get his desired results.
It was a step back in terms of career, but Patterson took it in stride. He told me, “I enjoyed being in retail, but as I think about it now I may have hurt myself in terms of mobility. Most who stay in retail don’t get big promotions. Usually the people who rise to the top didn’t come out of retail.” (While true at that time, it changed near the end of Patterson’s career.) He was happier because that was where his strengths were, working with people.
Patterson worked his way to Regional Operations Manager in Greensboro, and in 1986 was promoted to Vice President.Robert “Pat” Patterson began working for Wachovia Bank May 15, 1969 in the Audit Dept., commuting 35 miles each way. He retired 28 years later, a Vice President and on a first name basis with CEO John Medlin.
He had some good days and some bad days. From the day he started at Wachovia Bank, Patterson believed he had the chance to go as far as he wanted in the company, as long as he showed up and worked hard; the opportunity for advancement was there. Patterson still lives in Greensboro.
