One of four children born to John Alfred Patterson (d.1899) and Frances Julia Rogers, he was educated at Carlton College, Parkville, Victoria.
[1] In 1912 he travelled to London to see how ad agencies operated there, but he was unimpressed with what he saw of English practices and headed for New York where he worked for a time[2] His initial attempt to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force at the start of World War I was unsuccessful on medical grounds.
Clients included Palmolive, Ford and later the Dunlop Rubber, Berlei, the Gillette Safety Razor Co. and Pepsodent Australia.
During World War II it created campaigns for government bonds and troop entertainment programs featuring stars of the day such as Roy Rene, Jack Davey and Bob Dyer.
[5] Patterson worked tirelessly for the Australian Red Cross Society, directing their publicity functions from 1940 onwards.
He chaired the Red Cross's rehabilitation (social service) and was made an honorary life member of the national council in 1961.
[1] In 2009 Patterson was included in the inaugural 12 inductees to Ad News Magazine's, Australian Advertising Hall of Fame[6]