Patterson Fellows Program empowers KU Business master’s students through leadership and mentorship
During the 2024-2025 academic year, a new program launched, aimed to provide co-curricular leadership development and programming for KU School of Business graduate students. The Patterson Fellows Program recognizes academically talented students in the full-time MBA and Master of Science in Business Analytics programs.
The fellowship, named after KU alumni Bill and Carolyn Patterson, offers a scholarship, career-building experiences, alumni mentoring and more to students who have leadership abilities, creative problem-solving skills, academic excellence, strong motivation and are goal-oriented.
The first Patterson Fellows cohort had six students and grew to eight in 2025. Carolyn and Bill wanted to make sure that they could support students by allowing them to focus solely on their studies without the burden of worrying about how to pay their bills.
Mentorship played a key role for Bill and Carolyn in their college and professional careers. As a teaching assistant for Prof. Arno Knapper, Bill honed the writing and communication skills that would go on to serve him well in his career. Likewise, Carolyn worked as a “number cruncher” for Prof. Marilyn Taylor, running statistics on a mainframe computer.
Bill received his bachelor’s in accounting and Master of Accounting in 1964. Carolyn graduated with a degree in psychology in 1965 and her MBA in 1980. The couple met during their undergraduate years in Lawrence and married shortly after Carolyn graduated. Together they built their lives and raised their sons, Bill and Evan, in Johnson County, Kansas.
Bill served in the U.S. army in Vietnam and had a 34-year career at Arthur Andersen & Co. as a CPA and partner, serving as head of the audit division. He enjoyed a career with Premium Standard Farms and the American Italian Pasta Company and started his own companies. He served on the KU Business Dean’s Advisory Board and was the school’s 2002 Distinguished recipient. He died on Thanksgiving Day, 2024 after an 18-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Carolyn began her career at AT&T as computer programmer trainee where she gained valuable computer skills that she carries with her to today. After many years as a professional volunteer, she founded a computer training center in the Kansas City area in 1995 and ran it for 20 years.
The couple were active within the Kansas City community through their support of many different organizations like the Kauffman Center, the Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center, the Police Athletic League of Kansas City, Kansas, and many more. They chaired and served on numerous community boards. They loved the idea of investing in people with one goal in mind—to enable them to achieve their goals in life. As Carolyn said, “Watching a person become successful is the best reward.”
Carolyn has enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the Fellows. She encouraged them to enjoy their time as students and explore all the opportunities that may come their way.
“Have as much fun as you can, while you can,” Carolyn said. “Keep your horizons broad and just go for it!”
She challenged them to return years from now and give back as she and Bill have done.
“You have to turn around and support the people who are coming in behind you.”