Jim Patten, longtime UA journalism professor, dies at 83

Jim Patten, a longtime University of Arizona professor, journalism program director and reporter, died Tuesday after being diagnosed with lung cancer last month. He was 83.

Patten served as a UA journalism professor from 1983 to 2000 and was the UA’s journalism director from 1991 to 2000, helping many students along the way.

“He was just the consummate journalist and a consummate journalism educator,” said Susan Knight, who was hired by Patten at the UA in the 1990s. “He was really good at breaking things down and being direct and being firm.”

When the journalism program faced possible closure in 1994 in a money-saving effort by the university, Patten was one of the key leaders who helped save it. Students, alumni and various community supporters joined the employees in getting the faculty senate to vote to keep the program in 1995.

“‘Bear Down’ could not have been a more appropriate motto for us than in 1994, when misguided UA administrators decided to eliminate the journalism department, fire its faculty members and set the students adrift,” Patten wrote in a 2016 essay.

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In 1998, Patten was the first UA journalism professor to earn a named professorship as the Soldwedel Family Professor of Journalism for his value to the program.

He also received Nebraska University’s highest award for a faculty member, the Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award, for outstanding teaching in the humanities in 1972. Patten taught at Nebraska from 1967 to 1980 before moving to the University of Texas at El Paso from 1981 to 1983.

“As long-ago high school classmates in Fremont, Nebraska, reconnecting with Jim Patten late in life after we were both widowed was indeed a bonus for both of us,” said Iyone Meyer, Patten’s life partner. “I never tired of listening to the stories he told as he heard from students inspired by his passion for journalism. Those conversations with Jim will be missed most of all.”

A celebration of Patten’s life is being planned by his family.

Patten is survived by his life partner of four years, Iyone Meyer; brother Gaylen Patten; daughters Billie Stewart and Julie Patten; son Mike Patten; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.