Courtesy of the U.S. House of Representatives:
Representative from Illinois; born in Carlinville, Macoupin County, Ill., November 1, 1916; attended the public schools and Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill., and St. Louis (Mo.) University; took special courses in aviation at Springfield (Ill.) Junior College and St. Louis (Mo.) University; engaged in the automotive sales and service business in Carlinville, Ill.; licensed commercial pilot; enlisted in United States Navy in 1942 and served four years in naval air force; Naval Reserve officer with rank of commander; pilot of single-engine “Friendship Flame” on round-the-world solo flight in 1951; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first and to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1949-January 3, 1963); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1962 to the Eighty-eighth Congress; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1974 and in 1976 to the Ninety-fourth and Ninety-fifth Congresses; assistant to the president, Southern Railway, 1963-1975; owned and operated a real estate and investment firm; was a resident of Potomac, Md., until his death in Rockville, Md., July 4, 1986; interment in Arlington National Cemetery.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard