Legacy of love

By Randi Bemiss, On-Line Forty-Niner

Tuesday, September 1, 1998

As Cal State Long Beach students enter the university's primary childcare center, unbeknownst to many is the extent to which Isabel Patterson, who the center is named after, contributed to the campus and community. The Long Beach area philanthropist died at 88 in 1996.

For 52 years Patterson lived in Long Beach, starting her career of service to the community as an elementary teacher and ending it by endowing CSULB and local communities with millions of dollars.

Patterson is perhaps most commonly known for the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center, a fitting monument to the CSULB alumna, whose donations made the center possible. The center, which opened in January 1975, provides child care for parent students while they attend classes.

"She really felt education and children were how she could make a difference in society," said Pamela MacDonald, a longtime friend and the center's director. "To her, it was not just an option, it was who she was."

Though Patterson had no biological offspring, MacDonald said she had hundreds of children. "Every child at the center was like her child. She had nieces who were like daughters to her, as were some of her younger friends."

Patterson enrolled at 42 years of age in Long Beach State College (now CSULB) in 1949, and graduated in 1951 with an English degree. She was the 1950 Forty-Niner (now Daily Forty-Niner) spring semester editor.

In 1994, almost half a century after she first set foot on the new campus, Patterson received an honorary doctorate from CSULB, an accomplishment of which she was especially proud, according to the Isabel Patterson Memorial Fund web site.

The memorial fund, established by Patterson in 1979, supports a collection of more than 6,000 preschool, elementary and secondary level nonfiction, fiction, and picture books in the University Library, said a library news release.

Patterson first came to Long Beach in 1942 to live near her brother after working for the Navy in Saipan and supervising civilian payroll during World War II.

In college, Patterson was known as the Old Campus Queen, but she called herself the Yellow Rose of Texas. "She had a Texan style and manners, and the way she stood, you could just tell she was from Texas," MacDonald said. "And she was quite an equestrian."

Later, Patterson became wealthy by purchasing, renovating, renting and selling homes in Belmont Shore. "She loved to match people and homes like a real estate agent," MacDonald said.

As education one of her main concerns, Patterson gave nearly $800,000 to establish and develop the center's programs, including programs for about 275 infants, toddlers and school-age children and an employment program for 50 CSULB students.

"Isabel was very proud of the center," MacDonald said. "She called it her memorial."

Other contributions by Patterson include trust funds totaling $1.25 million for CSULB and a $1 million scholarship trust for Long Beach City College.

The City of Long Beach received $150,000 from Patterson to build the clock tower outside City Hall and next year, the First Congregational Church in downtown Long Beach will be able to replace their 80-year-old education building due to Patterson's $800,000 gift.

The new building will house a 25-year-old summer day camp program for 300 to 325 underprivileged children, said Rev. Dan Brink, the church's assistant minister.

"We feed them lunch and breakfast and in many cases these are the only meals they'll get," Brink said. "We also take them on outings and work on their education skills year-round."

"Fortunately, Isabel was there to be the catalyst for all of this," Brink said.