The original building, designed by George Washington Maher, opened in 1909 and was home to the Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team until 1940, when it was demolished to make room for the construction of the Technological Institute.

It is named for James A. Patten, former Evanston mayor, philanthropist, commodities broker and NU board of trustees president.

In 1999, the swimming pool area, which had been unused since 1987, was renovated and transformed into the Gleacher Golf Center.

At the time that it opened, the Gleacher Center was the only facility of its kind in collegiate golf, featuring a 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) pitching and putting green with an adjacent sand trap.

The original Patten Gymnasium, which had seating for 1,000 people, hosted the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game in 1939.