John W. Patterson

John W. Patterson, who played both defense and attack and graduated from Springfield College in 1951, was inducted as an outstanding player, who was also an outstanding coach or official, who has contributed noteworthy service to the game.

A two-time All-New England player in college, he played Native American box lacrosse for 33 years. He also spent over 20 years coaching at Kenwood (Md.) High School, Niagara University, the Buffalo Lacrosse Club and the Iroquois All-Stars.

An official for 19 years, he was the referee-in-chief of the Niagara Frontier Lacrosse Officials Association from 1977-79 and the founder of the Western New York Officials Association. He was the first executive director of the Iroquois Nationals, serving in that post from 1983-88, and started lacrosse programs for boys and girls at the junior high, high school and college levels.

In 1969 he started Tuskewe Krafts, producing Native American and women's lacrosse sticks. He conducted countless clinics and camps and earned numerous service awards, including the Mark Kreiger service and contribution award. He was a 1993 inductee in the US Lacrosse Greater Rochester Chapter Hall of Fame.

Patterson passed away in 2000, after a battle with leukemia.