. Patterson began his teaching career as professor at
Tufts University from 1957 to 1966, and with
Charles Longsworth, helped write
The New College Plan in
The Making of the College. In 1966, Patterson was appointed president of Hampshire college by the founding
board of trustees in 1965, initially supervising
construction, and
fund-raising, in preparation for the college's opening in 1970. From 1971, through the early 1980s, Patterson was a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in
political science and
government, and served as secretary of the university board, as well as interim president from 1977 through 1978. ==Personal life==