Henry R. Pattengill

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Henry R. Pattengill
Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction
In office
1893–1896
Preceded byFerris S. Fitch Jr.
Succeeded byJason E. Hammond
Personal details
Born(1852-01-04)January 4, 1852
Mount Vision, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 26, 1918(1918-11-26) (aged 66)
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Other political
affiliations		Progressive (1912–1915)
Spouse
Elizabeth Sharpsteen
​
​
(m. 1877; died 1915)​
Alma materUniversity of Michigan (BS)

Henry Romaine Pattengill (January 4, 1852 – November 26, 1918) was an American educator and politician. He was the Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1893 to 1896, elected as a Republican, and was the Progressive nominee in the 1914 Michigan gubernatorial election.

Early life and education[edit]

Henry R. Pattengill was born on January 4, 1852, in Mount Vision, New York, to parents Lemuel C. and Mary G. Pattengill.[1] His father was a Baptist pastor, and the family moved across New York State throughout Henry's childhood.[2] At Wilson, at seven years old, Pattengill experienced a near-fatal accident in which he was run over by a mechanical reaper being pulled by horses. His left arm, hand, leg, and hip were injured.[3] This manifested as slight lameness in his adult life.[4] Pattengill had desired to become a sailor, but directed his attention toward obtaining education after the accident.[3] The Pattengill family moved to Litchfield, Michigan in the fall of 1865. Pattengill received his primary education from district and village schools in New York and Michigan. Pattengill then took a college preparatory course in Hudson.[1] In 1870, Pattengill started attending the University of Michigan.[4] He served two years as editor of the college newspaper, Chronicle.[3] In 1874, Pattengill graduated from the literary department with a Bachelors of Science. Pattengill served as one of the commencement speakers at the graduation ceremony.[4]

Career[edit]

The Henry R. Pattengill monument in Ithaca

After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1874, Pattengill was appointed Superintendent of Schools in St. Louis in Gratiot County. He served in this position for two years. In the fall of 1876, he was made Superintendent of Schools in Ithaca.[3] He served in this role for eight years.[5] During his time in Ithaca, Pattengill constructed a high school. In 1881, Pattengill was elected village president of Ithaca. He was elected to a second term the next year. He also served as president of the Gratiot County Teachers' Association for eight years, starting in 1877.[3][4] In 1883, Pattengill was elected to the county Board of School Examiners, and the same year was made secretary of the Michigan Teachers' Association.[3] In 1884, Pattengill ran as a Republican candidate for the state legislature, but was defeated by Democrat Henry A. Weiss.[5][1]

In 1884, Pattengill moved to Grand Rapids after being offered the position of assistant editor of the Michigan School Moderator magazine.[3] In 1885, Pattengill bought out the magazine, becoming the sole proprietor. He moved its operations to Lansing.[4] The magazine later became known as Moderator Topics.[5] In addition to the magazine, Pattengill published a number of textbooks, including those of which he wrote himself, such as the Civil Government of Michigan. In 1886, Pattengill filled a vacancy at the State Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State University), where he became an assistant professor of English.[4] He served in this position until 1890.[5] In 1888, Pattengill began an annual reunion event between him and his students from his time as an educator at Gratiot County.[6]

Pattengill was the Republican nominee for Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1892. In the general election, he defeated incumbent Democrat Superintendent Ferris S. Fitch Jr.[7] In December 1892, Pattengill named Jason E. Hammond as his deputy superintendent.[8] To comply with state law regarding his eligibility for office, Pattengill sold his textbook publishing company to Robert Smith & Co., as to remove his interest from the textbook industry. However, he remained proprietor of the Michigan School Moderator.[9] He was re-elected to the position in 1894, defeating Democratic nominee Albert Jennings.[10] Pattengill also served as the president of the Michigan Board of Library Commissioners and as secretary of Michigan State Historical Society.[5]

In 1912, Pattengill was involved in organizing the Michigan Progressive Party, better known as the Bull Moose Party.[11] Pattengill also returned to the textbook publishing business after his tenure as superintendent of public instruction.[12] In 1913, Pattengill took an extended tour of the Panama Canal Zone.[6] Later that year, he was nominated for the University of Michigan board of regents by the Progressives, however, he refused the nomination and withdrew his candidacy due to the Progressives' adoption of a policy of uniform textbooks.[13][14]

On June 19, 1914, the Progressive state committee unanimously nominated Pattengill for governor.[15] On June 22, Pattengill accepted the Progressive nomination. L. Whitney Watkins, previous Progressive nominee for governor, refused to take the nomination under any circumstance.[16] Former President Theodore Roosevelt endorsed Pattengill's gubernatorial campaign instead of Republican nominee Chase S. Osborn.[17] Pattengill was not contested in the Progressive primary election.[18] Pattengill did not campaign until after the primary elections.[19] On the campaign trail, Pattengill voiced approval for the prohibition of alcohol and women's suffrage.[20][21] Pattengill ultimately received 36,747 votes, not winning a single county.[22][23]

Pattengill was still a member of the Progressive Party in 1915, though he felt he could return to the Republicans given they adopted a progressive platform.[24] In 1916, Pattengill was again nominated for governor by the Progressive Party. By this point however, Pattengill had returned to the Republican Party. He supported the candidacy of Republican Charles Evans Hughes for president. He wrote to Michigan Secretary of State Coleman C. Vaughan asking for his name to be removed from the ballot.[25] Pattengill received 95 votes in the 1916 general election.[26]

Personal life[edit]

Pattengill married Elizabeth A. Sharpsteen on July 17, 1877.[27] She was a public school teacher.[28] Together, they had four children, two sons and two daughters. Elizabeth Pattengill died on May 21, 1915, at her Lansing home.[29] Pattengill was a Baptist.[30]

Death and legacy[edit]

In 1918, Pattengill had fallen seriously ill for weeks.[31] He went to Boston for medical consultation, and returned to his Lansing home on November 22. He died there on November 26, of acute liver disease. He was survived by his four children.[32]

The annual Pattengill Reunion events continued after Pattengill's death. The committee which facilitated these events began to work to promoting Pattengill's legacy, by means such as placing his portrait in Gratiot County schools and creating a state memorial in Pattengill's name.[33] On January 8, 1920, the Detroit Board of Education passed a resolution to build an elementary school named after Pattengill.[34] The school was opened on November 23, 1921.[35] In November 1921, the Michigan State Teachers' Association established high school scholarships in Pattengill's name.[36] In 1924, there was a cairn monument built and dedicated to Pattengill in Ithaca, on land that was once a school building where he taught. It was funded by his former students.[37] It was constructed with 510 stones from around the world. In 2010, it was registered as a Michigan State Historic Site, and a plaque commemorating Pattengill was erected in 2011.[38]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Tucker, Willard D. (1913). Gratiot County, Michigan. pp. 1216–1218.
  2. ^ Michigan Historical Commission (1924). Michigan Biographies: Including Members of Congress, Elective State Officers, Justices of the Supreme Court, Members of the Michigan Legislature, Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, State Board of Agriculture and State Board of Education, Volume 2. pp. 177–178.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Portrait and Biographical Album of Gratiot County, Mich. 1884. pp. 467–468.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties, Michigan. 1891. pp. 486–488.
  5. ^ a b c d e Moore, Charles (1915). History of Michigan, Volume 4. pp. 2052–2054.
  6. ^ a b "Pattengill Reunion". Alma Record. July 3, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Michigan Manual". Red Book: 562. 1892.
  8. ^ "Around the State". Alma Record. December 9, 1892. p. 2. Retrieved January 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Sold His Text-Book Business". Detroit Free Press. January 4, 1893. p. 3. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Michigan Manual". Red Book: 532. 1895.
  11. ^ "Ex-School Head Dies". The Herald-Press. November 27, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Uniform Text Book Measure Fails To Pass in Lower House". St. Joseph Daily Press. March 21, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Bull Moosers Enthusiastic". Lansing State Journal. March 22, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Pattengill Refuses to Run". The Diamond Drill. March 15, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Pattengill Is Bull Moose Committee Choice for Leader". Detroit Free Press. June 20, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Pattengill to Head the Bull Moose Ticket". Lansing State Journal. June 22, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Teddy Refuses to Back Osborn for Governor". Lansing State Journal. August 6, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "What Will Berrien Do Tuesday in Primaries? Osborn is Likely To Win; Hamilton is Favorite". St. Joseph Daily Press. August 22, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Pattengill Will Wage No Campaign". Lansing State Journal. June 30, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Bosses to Blame". St. Joseph Saturday Herald. October 17, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "H. R. Pattengill Comes Out For Woman Suffrage". The Herald-Press. October 17, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Michigan Manual". Red Book: 757. 1915.
  23. ^ "Official Count Gives Ferris 35,809 Lead". Detroit Evening Times. December 3, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Sees Bull Mooses Back in Rank of Republicans". The Times Herald. September 18, 1915. p. 6. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Pasttengill Asks Removal of Name for Governorship". Lansing State Journal. October 13, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Michigan Manual". Red Book: 771. 1917.
  27. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume 19. 1967. p. 257.
  28. ^ "Mrs. H. R. Pattengill Dies Suddenly At Home During Night". Lansing State Journal. May 22, 1915. p. 2. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Mrs. H. R. Pattengill Dies Suddenly At Home During Night". Lansing State Journal. May 22, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Death Claims H. R. Pattengill". Lansing State Journal. November 26, 1918. p. 2. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Henry R. Pattengill Critically Ill, Report". Lansing State Journal. November 25, 1918. p. 10. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Death Claims H. R. Pattengill". Lansing State Journal. November 26, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Hold Pattengill Reunion at Ithaca". Lansing State Journal. June 28, 1920. p. 7. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Detroit Board of Education (February 1920). The Detroit Educational Bulletin, Issue 3. p. 16.
  35. ^ "Dedicate Detroit School to Henry R. Pattengill, Former Lansingite and Great Michigan Educator". Lansing State Journal. November 23, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Teachers to Honor Keeler, Pattengill". Ironwood Daily Globe. November 4, 1921. p. 3. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Pattengill Memorial Planned in Gratiot". Lansing State Journal. June 24, 1924. p. 13. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Historical Marker - Henry R. Pattengill/ (Marker ID#:L2224)" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
Party political offices
Preceded by Progressive nominee for Governor of Michigan
1914, 1916 		last
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