Dwight D. Patterson, MCC Pioneer

  The name Dwight Patterson might not seem familiar with a lot of Mesa Community College fans, but his impact was substantial for both the college and the entire city.

Are you familiar with the Chicago Cubs' spring training home? The fact that the Cubs have trained in Mesa for many decades was largely due to his handiwork.

  Do you know what the Cactus League is? Patterson has been called "The Father of Cactus League Baseball." In case you don't know, that is the name of the 15-team Major League Baseball grouping that invades the Valley of the Sun each spring to prepare for the coming season.

  Ever been to the Mesa Country Club? He was on the committee that built it, helping spur the golf boom in this area.

  As far as MCC goes, he and Dr. Theo Heap organized the Ho-Chief Foundation that helped get Mesa athletics off the ground.

  In fact, he sold the land that eventually became the Southern and Dobson campus at a significant discount.

  He has been Mesa Citizen of the Year, helped organize Little League and Pony League basenall in the city, and was a charter member of the MCC Athletic Hall of Fame among many other honors

 His name still might not seem familiar, but just look around the city and you are liable to see something he had a hand in creating.

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