# Robert Maskell Patterson

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American physician, professor and 6th director of the U.S. Mint (1787–1854)

For other people with the same name, see [Robert Patterson (disambiguation)](/source/Robert_Patterson_(disambiguation)).

Robert Maskell Patterson 6th Director of the United States Mint In office 1835–1851 President Millard Fillmore Preceded by Samuel Moore Succeeded by George Nicholas Eckert Personal details Born (1787-03-23)March 23, 1787 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US Died September 5, 1854(1854-09-05) (aged 67) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US Resting place Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Spouse Helen Hamilton Leiper Relations Robert Patterson (father)

**Robert Maskell Patterson** (March 23, 1787 – September 5, 1854) was an American professor of mathematics, chemistry and natural philosophy at the [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania) from 1812 to 1828 and professor of [natural philosophy](/source/Natural_philosophy) at the [University of Virginia](/source/University_of_Virginia) from 1828 to 1835. He served as the 6th director of the [United States Mint](/source/United_States_Mint) from 1835 to 1851 and as president of the [American Philosophical Society](/source/American_Philosophical_Society) from 1809 to 1854.[1][2]

## Early life and education

Patterson was born on March 23, 1787, in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia),[3] one of eight children of [Robert Patterson](/source/Robert_Patterson_(educator)) and Amy Hunter Ewing.[4] Patterson attended the [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania) and graduated in 1804 with a [B.A.](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts). He studied medicine under [Benjamin Smith Barton](/source/Benjamin_Smith_Barton)[5] and graduated with a [M.D.](/source/Doctor_of_Medicine) in 1808.[6] He continued his education in Paris, France at the [Jardins des plantes](/source/Jardin_des_plantes), and studied with [René Just Haüy](/source/Ren%C3%A9_Just_Ha%C3%BCy),[7] [Louis Nicolas Vauquelin](/source/Louis_Nicolas_Vauquelin), [Adrien-Marie Legendre](/source/Adrien-Marie_Legendre) and [Siméon Denis Poisson](/source/Sim%C3%A9on_Denis_Poisson).[8] In 1811, Patterson travelled to England and studied with [Humphry Davy](/source/Humphry_Davy).[7]

## Career

He returned to the United States in 1812 and was appointed professor of natural philosophy, chemistry and mathematics in the department of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was appointed vice provost in 1814.[7] Patterson remained at Penn until 1828 when he joined the faculty of the University of Virginia. He was chairman of the university's faculty from 1830 until 1832.[9] He was elected an Associate Fellow of the [American Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/American_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences) in 1834.[10] Patterson was nominated as director of the U.S. Mint by President Andrew Jackson[11][12] and served from 1835 to 1851.[13] In 1807, Patterson and his father were consulted by [Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler](/source/Ferdinand_Rudolph_Hassler) for guidance on the [United States Coast and Geodetic Survey](/source/United_States_Coast_and_Geodetic_Survey). In 1826, Patterson was Consulted by the governor of Pennsylvania to determine the best source of water for a state canal.[8]

He was active in the [Franklin Institute](/source/Franklin_Institute), the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia and the [Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind](/source/Overbrook_School_for_the_Blind).[6]

Patterson died on September 5, 1854, in Philadelphia,[14] and was interred at [Laurel Hill Cemetery](/source/Laurel_Hill_Cemetery).[15] He was married to Helen Hamilton Leiper, daughter of [Thomas Leiper](/source/Thomas_Leiper), on April 20, 1814,[16] and together they had six children.[8]

## American Philosophical Society

Patterson was the youngest person elected to the [American Philosophical Society](/source/American_Philosophical_Society) at the age of 22 in 1809. He served as secretary in 1813, as vice-president in 1825, and as president in 1849.[14]

## References

**Citations**

1. **[^](#cite_ref-r1_1-0)** [Robert Patterson – Philadelphia, PA](http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM74MP_Robert_Patterson_Philadelphia_PA). waymarking.com

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["APS Member History"](https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Robert+patterson&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced). *search.amphilsoc.org*. Retrieved 2021-04-02.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185960_3-0)** [Bache 1859](#CITEREFBache1859), p. 60.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Robert Patterson 1743-1824"](https://archives.upenn.edu/exhibits/penn-people/biography/robert-patterson/). *archives.upenn.edu*. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBreck18549_5-0)** [Breck 1854](#CITEREFBreck1854), p. 9.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NationalArchives_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NationalArchives_6-1) ["Robert M. Patterson to Thomas Jefferson, 7 January 1814"](https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-07-02-0058). *founders.archives.org*. National Historical Publications & Records Commission. Retrieved 1 December 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185961_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185961_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185961_7-2) [Bache 1859](#CITEREFBache1859), p. 61.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-APSpapers_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-APSpapers_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-APSpapers_8-2) ["Robert M. (Robert Maskell) Patterson papers, 1775-1853"](https://search.amphilsoc.org/collections/view?docId=ead/Mss.B.P274-ead.xml). *search.amphilsoc.org*. American Philosophical Society. Retrieved 4 December 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Virginia, University of (1905). [*Installation of the First President of the University of Virginia, Dr. Edwin Anderson Alderman, April 13, 1905*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Installation_of_the_First_President_of_t/MyAXQ6Kvs3EC?hl=en&gbpv=1). Eddy Press Corporation. p. 60.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AAAS_10-0)** ["Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter P"](http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterP.pdf) (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 13, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["U. S. Mint Medals Presented to Mint Director Robert M. Patterson ** 2012 ANA EXHIBIT **"](https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=10662). *coins.www.collectors-society.com*. Collectors Society. Retrieved 1 December 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185961–62_12-0)** [Bache 1859](#CITEREFBache1859), pp. 61–62.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Seijas, Tatiana; Frederick, Jake (2017). [*Spanish Dollars and Sister Republics - The Money that Made Mexico and the United States*](https://books.google.com/books?id=1lzCDQAAQBAJ). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 123. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4422-6520-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4422-6520-2). Retrieved 1 December 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185962_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBache185962_14-1) [Bache 1859](#CITEREFBache1859), p. 62.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Robert M. Patterson"](https://remembermyjourney.com/memorials/robert-m-patterson?id=ENROODLj). *remembermyjourney.com*. webCemeteries. Retrieved 4 January 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBreck185412_16-0)** [Breck 1854](#CITEREFBreck1854), p. 12.

**Sources**

- Frederik Nebeker, Astronomy and the Geophysical Tradition in the United States in the Nineteenth Century: A Guide to Manuscript Sources in the Library of the American Philosophical Society, APS Publication No. 16 (Philadelphia, 1991), p. 75–76.

- Bache, Franklin (1859). [*Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia for promoting useful knowledge. v.6 1854-1858*](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000099915070&view=1up&seq=68). American Philosophical Society.

- Breck, Samuel (1854). [*A Short Biography of Robert M. Patterson, M.D.*](https://books.google.com/books?id=B3mHz_fv-_oC) John C. Clark & Son.

## External links

- [Philadelphia Museum of Art - Portrait of Robert M. Patterson](https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/302651)

- [Robert M. (Robert Maskell) Patterson papers, 1775-1853](http://www.amphilsoc.org/collections/view?docId=ead/Mss.B.P274-ead.xml)

Government offices Preceded by Samuel Moore 6th Director of the United States Mint 1835–1851 Succeeded by George Nicholas Eckert

v t e Directors of the United States Mint Rittenhouse de Saussure Boudinot R. Patterson Moore R. M. Patterson Eckert Pettit Snowden Pollock Millward Linderman Pollock Linderman Burchard Kimball Leech Preston Roberts Leach Andrew Roberts Woolley von Engelken Baker Scobey Grant Ross Brett Adams Brooks Hackel Sims Pope Ryder Diehl Johnson Fore Moy Ryder Gibson Hollis

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States People Deutsche Biographie Other Open Library NARA SNAC Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robert Maskell Patterson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maskell_Patterson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maskell_Patterson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.