Earl Lieber Patterson

Born in Selma, Alabama in 1888, Earl Lieber Patterson graduated from Geneva College in 1905 before joining the Yale College class of 1906 in the fall of 1905. In a history of his class published in 1911, Patterson reported to his classmates that he had spent the year after graduation studying social conditions in New York City. He returned to his hometown, where he worked as a private tutor. He then joined Selma University, where he had been teaching for three years. He also managed a business, the Patterson Gas Company. Census records and city directories indicate that Patterson remained in Selma, where he owned and operated a grocery business.

Driving Mechanism For Washing Machines. US Patent 753,909, filed October 7, 1903.