New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Frederick Douglass Patterson
(1901 - 1988)
"A Mind is A Terrible Thing to Waste"
| | New Rochelle Walk of Fame | |
Frederick Douglas Patterson was born in Washington D.C. in 1901. Orphaned at the age of two, he was raised by his elder sister, a Texas schoolteacher. He was an educator, humanitarian and doctor of veterinary medicine. He is best remembered for founding the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in 1944, an organization dedicated to raising and distributing scholarships to deserving minority students. It's motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" has become one of the most widely recognized slogans in advertising history.
In 1935, he became president of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, one of the foremost African American institutions of higher education in the country. His goal was not only to increase the vocational training of his students, but also to raise them to higher levels of academic competency. One of his accomplishments was the creation of the black Army Air Corps. This program led to the formation of the Tuskegee Airmen, well now for their bravery in World War II and celebrated in the award-winning HBO TV movie The Tuskegee Airman.
As a member of President Truman's Commission on Higher Education,Patterson helped file a 1947 report calling for the reorganization of higher education in the United States. President Johnson appointed him to oversee the adoption and growth of the federally sponsored school-lunch program. In the mid-1970s he devised the College Endowment Funding Plan, a program where funds from private businesses were matched with federal moneys. In 1987, President Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Frederick Douglass Patterson was a longtime resident of New Rochelle and lived at 124 Rockland Place in Rochelle Park from 1953 until his death in 1988.
Erected by City
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #33 Harry S. Truman, the Former U.S. Presidents: #36 Lyndon B. Johnson, the Former U.S. Presidents: #40 Ronald Reagan, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Tuskegee Airmen series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 40° 54.621′ N, 73° 46.962′ W. Marker is in New Rochelle, New York, in Westchester County. It is on Lawton Street south of Huguenot Street (U.S. 1), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 45 Lawton St, New Rochelle NY 10801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Hudson Valley and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carl & Rob Reiner (here, next to this marker); Jerry Bock & Joseph Stein (here, next to this marker); Mighty Mouse (here, next to this marker); Nell Brinkley (a few steps from this marker); E. L. Doctorow (a few steps from this marker); Jay Leno (a few steps from this marker); Henry Heimlich (a few steps from this marker); Lillian & Dorothy Gish (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Rochelle.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 136 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
