Thomas C. Patterson (born August 18, 1945) is a former member of the Arizona State Senate and was chairman of the Goldwater Institute from 2000 to July 2015.
[2] Patterson served five terms in the Senate from January 1989 through January 1999, representing district 26.
[8] Patterson was the author of legislation creating Arizona's charter school system and welfare reform program.
Until 1998, he was a practicing physician and president of Emergency Physicians, Inc.. Patterson also served as president of the Arizona chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Nebraska.