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Courtesy KSL/Deseret News
Val Patterson, left, who wrote his own obituary before he died, is seen next to his wife Mary Jane, of Utah.
Dr. Val Patterson, Ph.D., used his self-penned obituary as an opportunity to tell the world some surprising facts about himself, including: He didn't actually have a Ph.D., and yes, he's the guy who stole that company safe a few decades ago.
The Utah man, who died at age 59 of throat cancer on July 10, prepared in advance a light-hearted summary of his life that was published in The Salt Lake Tribune's obituary section on Sunday. In it, he described growing up in Salt Lake City, meeting the love of his life, traveling, and spending time with good friends.
But then, it was time to clear his conscience. "I have confessions and things I should now say," Patterson wrote.
"I really am NOT a PhD. What happened was that the day I went to pay off my college student loan at the [University of Utah], the girl working there put my receipt into the wrong stack, and two weeks later, a PhD diploma came in the mail. I didn't even graduate, I only had about 3 years of college credit," he wrote. "I never did even learn what the letters 'PhD' even stood for."
To the engineers he worked with who had no idea he didn't really have a doctorate, Patterson said, "I'm sorry, but you have to admit my designs always worked very well."
Patterson also came clean about stealing a safe from an inn in 1971.
"I could have left that unsaid, but I wanted to get it off my chest," he wrote.
While much of the obituary is written in a playful tone -- Patterson even told Disneyland it can "throw away that 'Banned for Life' file you have on me, I'm not a problem anymore" -- when addressing his "remarkable" wife Mary Jane, there are no jokes.
"My regret is that I felt invincible when young and smoked cigarettes when I knew they were bad for me," he wrote. "I have robbed my beloved Mary Jane of a decade or more of the two of us growing old together and laughing at all the thousands of simple things that we have come to enjoy."
In a phone conversation with NBC News on Wednesday, Mary Jane Patterson, 50, laughed while talking about her husband of 33 years, whom she described as a smart man who excelled in woodworking, art, electronics -- and making people smile.
"There's only one Val," she said."He had a great sense of humor. If you knew him, you would just be in hysterics."
The couple spent eight years working for an oil company in Saudi Arabia, then returned to their hometown of Salt Lake City in 1988. Over the years, Val worked as a circuit board designer, an an electronics engineer and a consultant. While Val enjoyed the Ph.D. error from his college, he never used it to his advantage, Mary Jane said.
"He didn't even graduate from college because he wanted to quit just to prove to himself that he didn't need a degree to open any doors for him," she said. Nonetheless, his college continued to send him alumni correspondences over the years addressed to "Dr. Val Patterson, Ph.D."
"We just laughed at that. And it's true what he said: He didn't even know what it stood for," she said. "He didn't ever use it to any advantage at all for getting jobs or anything. In fact, he was proud of that fact that his talent with electronics was so good that he didn't need one."
Val had told her about his plans to write his own obituary before he died. Mary Jane agreed with it, and he made her promise she wouldn't change a word of it.
"I didn't mind at all. He was so organized," she said. "He never asked favors from people. He just always did everything himself. He never wanted to burden anyone."
Starks Funeral Parlor, where a "celebration of life" is being held for Patterson (casual dress is encouraged, he told readers), has been inundated with emails, phone calls and Facebook messages since the obituary was published.
"It's just been unreal. It's a wonderful thing. We've never had anything like this before," Brady Gamble, funeral director at Starks, located in Salt Lake City, told NBC News on Wednesday morning.
While Patterson went so far as to write his own obituary, he didn't plan his service, Gamble said. Mary Jane came in recently to discuss specifics.
"Once in a while we get families where the person who passed away writes their own obituary, but it's very rare for somebody to write one like this and for it to be so inspiring and so interesting," he said.
On the Starks Funeral Parlor Facebook page, which commenters turned to after the funeral home's website crashed from getting so many hits, condolences poured in. "To his widow, and remaining family... I can tell he was a blast to be around!" wrote one person. "I personally did not know him, but from his self-penned obituary, he sounds like just the type of person I would have liked to have as a friend. Mary Jane, you obviously were the joy of his life and must be a wonderful, caring and loving person," commented another.
Gamble believes Patterson's honesty while knowing his death was imminent is what touched so many people.
"He wanted to convey his love to his wife and his remorse for not being able to spend many more years with her," Gamble said. "I haven't spoken with [Mary Jane] directly, but I've heard this is very overwhelming for her. I don't think she was expecting this type of response."
Mary Jane said she felt bad for other people who recently lost loved ones who are trying to access Starks' website.
"Val, what did you do?" she joked.
Patterson is survived by his mother and brother, in addition to his wife. In his obituary, Patterson had one final message to his readers: "If you want to live forever, then don't stop breathing, like I did."
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Leave a Comment:
sound advice from one engineer i wish i had met........
Anyone who gets a lifetime ban from Disneyland is alright in my book. And for all of you Chuck-E-Cheese bannees, stop bragging and try to step up into the big leagues. Six Flags sucks for life!!!
Although I feel sad for the loved ones that are grieving over his passing, I have no respect for this guy at all.
Just think about all the people that have been affected by his actions, in addition to the other actions he may have left out...
For all you sarcastic, negative people, I'd suggest that you go to the SLTrib website for the "rest of the story." This guy was up front his whole life and never claimed to actually have a Ph.D. In fact, he was an inventor and made it without a degree. Also, the police and the drive-in that he took the "antique" safe from knew about it. The guy was straight and I, for one, wish I'd known him. Where do all the angry people in these comments come from? Shame on you.
"...he girl working there put my receipt into the wrong stack, and two weeks later, a PhD diploma came in the mail." So he did a Gen. George Armstrong Custer.
Okayletstalk... if he was "...upfront his whole life..." as you say, why did he wait until he was dead to come clean or be upfront while committing fraud (Ph. D.) and what could possibly considered grand theft, regardless of who knew it... did he steal it or not? And I don't think I'm angry because I disagree with you, in my opinion you're coming off as the one who's angry.
Interesting. When got my 'first' diploma in the mail, I took it back to the assistant dean of the college because I was one semester short of graduation. She first accused me of committing a fraud, to which I responded, "You sent it to me, I didn't ask for it, nor am I keeping it." I got the 'second' one at the end of the next semester.
And if he listed it on his resume, then he used it 'to gain favor'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpBP9dALcWw&feature=related
So if he was a somewhat dishonest, what are we supposed to do about it now? Bury him under the prison? At least he came clean and it's not like he was a serial killer or anything.
Imagine the stories that were taken to the grave. Heck, my dad told when he was serving in the army in Korea, he went on some R&R in Seoul at a Sergeant, and came back a corporal. He took the reasons why to his grave, no matter how hard I pressed him. I sure wish he'd written such a obituary. I wonder what got this guy, Val a life ban at Disney.
Fraud requires the intent to gain an advantage
Good thing you stated "possibly" since grand theft requires a minimum dollar value.
One word comes to mind. Karma!
If he really wanted to come clean he should have used his money from all the jobs he got under the guise of PhD to pay back the people he stole the safe from.
.... then I would have had more respect for this confession. Otherwise it's kind of a cowardly move by a charming, arrogant braggart.
what_the_81
What actions? Other than the safe thing it seems that all his other actions were positive
wahoo2
I must have missed it where does it say he used it on his resume
While I agree that we shouldn't chastise him, I think many of us might have a different opinion if by his actions and dishonesty, someone was hurt or killed. We just were lucky with this one but similar situations may not end so well. What will we think then?
All I have to say is, his wife is HOT.
@ Bandit. Go for it she's single now.
I think it was a great idea to write his own obit. I wonder how many who post here could write an honest version of their life and have it come out pristine. Not me That's for sure.
He managed to do the job without the extra years of college. Goes to point out how much junk we learn over the course of all those years.
Confession is good for the soul. Rest in peace Val. My condolences to his family.
Sounds like a fun guy. I love it he got a PhD - great You know it means piled higher and deeper. LOL
Whatever happened to being an honest person? Obviously he knows what he did was wrong or it wouldn't be a confession. I agree that you don't necessarily have to have a college degree to make it in life, but being a conman doesn't prove anything. My husband is also an engineer and also never finished college. He however was upfront about it and proved to them that he was worthy of the job. Although this guy may be a nice person, his fraud should not be looked at lightly. What if your doctor or surgeon accidentally got his medical license? Would you still be ok with that? Lies are not always necessarily spoken.
Lighten up folks. I don't know what the safe thing was about (the story is a little unclear on that point) but it apparently didn't concern the authorities. As to the PhD, it seems clear to me that he never tried to capitalize on the mistake. Who, exactly, was injured? RIP Dr.
My condolences to Mr. Patterson's family! Lighten up people, this gentleman did not claim to have a PHD his wife even said that he did not use it for job purposes, as for the safe thing well it appears possible that people knew about that also. Is you peoples real problem that this man wrote his own obituary and made it lighthearted well good for him, he accepted what was happening and made one thing easier on his wife not a bad thing in my eyes. Any of you who can say you did nothing wrong and be telling the truth good for you but if we take a real good look at our own lives we have all made mistakes and did things maybe we should not have. This man had a great idea as who better to write the truth about you than yourself! RIP Mr. Patterson and kudos for being honest that you were not a perfect person.
I would, REBEL YELL, but alas, I am not.
Then why, NBC news, are you starting out the article calling this man "Dr."? That's ridiculous after the revelation. Justification? Can this man be serious that he never knew what the letters even stood for? It's really more than a tarnished memory he leaves — this is big, serious, stuff. It's a lifetime of professional fraud! It's a lifetime of deceit. That's really not funny, it's pretty despicable. Nice one, fake-Doc! Way to harm your family after! (Might take a note from the 12 Steps on making amends — make direct amends wherever possible, except when to do so will injure the parties involved, or others. You just injured your family big time. Better to have kept it to yourself. Selfish to unload now, at the expense of others.)
Chill out.
Chill out? Pardon me for finding professional fraud highly offensive and damaging to the profession and to legitimate professionals. He didn't have to perpetrate fraud. Plenty of smart people without degrees succeed. Steve Jobs? Ever hear of him?
He also could have come clean while still living, instead of taking the coward's path. He's a coward and fraud who's left the "love of his life" to clean up his mess. Way to go.
Nope, can't pardon the nasty tude and disrespect. Yammer on about how you disagree with what he did. It's only "professional fraud" if he had no training and couldn't do the job and risked others. His designs plainly worked. It doesn't take a PhD to make one a "legitimate professional". He didn't obtain the certificate dishonestly, he obtained it because the school made a mistake. Sounds like you lost your job to someone who didn't have as much education as you. Take your sour grapes with you when you leave. Whatta jerk.
Chill out, the guy is dead. get off your high horse, or if you insist on staying on it, complain about living people that are doing things wrong.
Star West: It's tongue-in-cheek humor by the writer, and a pretty cute lead to the article. Kudos to the author.
Yes, chill out! This is not an article about fraud, it's about a guy with a great sense of humor while facing imminent death.
Star West
Has anyone ever told you your a jerk? Well now they have.
You obviously dont believe in forgiveness. This man confessed and expressed his regret. You dont have a good spirit and are not a good christian. I would hate to be one of your relatives!
Just being honest!!
My condolences to his family.
The real frauds are the idiots who take the courses and get the degree and still can't think their way out of a paper bag. This guy had the brains without the schooling. He was probably smarter than the majority of people he worked with.
If his designs worked (i'm sure he had peer review on his designs) whats the big deal. I'm a cad draftsman with only a technical degree. After you do it so long a draftsman does a lot of the design on the drawings they make. The engineers only tell you what they want (sometimes they will sketch it up) the draftsperson draws it & the engineers check your drawings & mark them up for corrections.
Strar West,
Calm down Francis,
A Ph.D. Is not that big of a deal. It just meant that you had to spend too much time in school because you couldn't think of something better to do.
It stands for Piled Higher and Deeper, right?
I sorta understand Star West on this
why are we applauding a guy who stole a safe, used a PHD he didnt earn to his advantage (if his colleagues thought he had a PHD, he used it - plain and simple, otherwise no one ever would have known he had gotten it in error if he had never used it and made anyone aware of it)...and didnt really acknoweldge what that lifetime ban from disneyland was for (for all we know he was flashing little kids while drunk).
but we applaud him, because the minute imminent death is at his door...like a true christian, he begs jesus to forgive him for all his sins, and all is right in the world.
id have applauded this man if he werent dying and had come clean, at the risk of ruining his professional career. THAT would make him a man of courage, a man of integrity.
all this really is, is a smart ass guy with a "great sense of humor" hoping that his deathbed confessions grant him access to heaven. that makes him an awesome person, or just another example of greedy and entitled?
That's the funny thing. Some guy goes off on professional fraud and all this damage, blah blah blah. Well guess what zero damage. The guy obviously had talent and enough that he was probably better than your typical piled high and deep academic that doesn't know how to apply $#!T in real life. A piece of paper doesn't make you worth crap. I'm glad to hear stories like this. The thing to get upset about is the safe. Someone got legitimately robbed but hell, he didn't turn out to be a serial thief. I guess.
I think a few of you missed the spirit of this article, or maybe I have it wrong. Most importantly, it stated that he never used his PhD to his benefit. It specifically stated that he never used it to get a job, so I take that to mean he never lied on a resume, or, more likely, told his employers the truth about his PhD and had a good laugh about it. It was a novelty for him.
I took the Disneyland comment as a joke, or maybe a comic exaggeration, and they didn't really give enough info about the missing safe to come to any conclusions. It never said he stole money, or that there was even anything in the safe. That, too, could have been an inside joke about a harmless work prank.
I found the article worth reading, and it made me smile. It was kind of beautiful, really. He sounds like a brilliant, playful, loving guy who cared about leaving a legacy of honesty and humor. Not everything has to be ugly; lighten up.
You are a bitter person!
Is it fraud? Well, I suppose it depends on how you ask the question. Did he have a Ph.D.? Clearly he did! Did he earn the Ph.D.? Not exactly, although maybe you just have to go through 3 years and pay for the 4th year where he graduated.
It sounds like his wife married a gem. Doesn't sound like the same can be said for whoever marries star west.
Yes Star West, chill the @!$%# out - I really don't think Val Patteson cares much about your opinion right now.
I like the cut of this guy!!! Rest in peace Mr Patterson.
I really do not have an opinion about this man, but I do have an opinion about how "we" view what he has presented. I did not know him to care if he did or did not take advantage of the "Ph.D"
There seems to be a pattern to what he has revealed about himself and it does seem to lean to the wrong side of common sense about the type of person that I would hold up to my Grand Children to emulate, and yet because it is unique and different we feel it is ok that he stole a safe, was banned from Disney and did not take the time to right the mistake that the school made at granting him what he had not earned.
You see I do not care that he did not earn it, I care that he did not take the step to correct it.
We have stopped holding up the common, decent, self correcting person as someone to be emulated, loved, respected and sought after as a friend and would rather emulate someone who uniquely tells us after his death that he has cheated the system time and again and we should find him cute for that.
Not funny, Not Cute, Not someone I would want my Grand Children to look up to.
Rest in peace my friend, it is God whose forgiveness means something, not mine or anyone else who you might have been addressing.
It's clearly fraud, his salary was based on his stated qualifications. So there are Ph D's out there who actually earned them who didn't get jobs because this college drop-out conned people about his qualifications.
Oh yeah, and he stole a safe from work. Great man because he.... I am sorry why ? Because he owned up to being a thief and a fraud, but not until he wasn't around to answer for his crimes, how noble. At least he didn't kill or molest anyone, i guess that's a plus, huh ?
Funny things about jobs. You may be able to get a job by lying on your resume, but you can't keep it if you can't do the work. Obviously his employer thought he was getting his money's worth, otherwise he would have been fired.
Heck, I'm waiting for Obama's obit. "Hey guys! Sure enjoyed being President of your country. You certainly confirmed what I've always thought about you. Didn't have to show you my original birth certificate as you are gullible enough to believe anything. I gave you plenty of clues about how I was going to destroy your country, but you still elected me. Then, after I got elected, you proceeded to let me destroy your country. The loony left amazingly believes that you can get something for nothing. The loony right is so loaded with guilt that I was easily able to get away with stuff that I wouldn't have been able to of if my skin was white. Karl was right, Capitalism will destroy itself. Your proof of it because you got complacent and forgot what got you there in the first place. Thanks for the ride. Sure enjoyed flying all over the place and seeing the world. Heck, I didn't even have to pay for it. Now, how cool is that? Well, I've enjoyed it! And I didn't even have to fire a gun! Thanks again! Allah is great!"
What are all these comments saying his designs were "obviously" good? Because his deathbed autobiography said so? Maybe he's the guy that got hired because they knew about his PhD, but it turns out his designs were full of problems, and his co-workers were always having to fix it. Or maybe he got assigned simple projects while real engineers took the big challenges. Who knows? Any one can give themselves an A+.
He may not have actively forged his degree, but he was complicit in accepting it even though he knew it was wrong. It's not that hard to correct a mistake. It'd be interesting to see how his self-proclaimed talent really stacked up to what others say about him. But that won't happen now, since it's rude for acquaintances to speak ill of the dead.
My condolences to the family.
It's sad that there are so many would-be great engineers out in society, who couldn't and can't afford the tuition and living expenses to get the diplomas, and businesses who won't look at anyone who doesn't have one.
Babs, there is no indication anywhere in this story that Val Patterson wanted a Ph.D., couldn't afford a Ph.D., etc. He claims he didn't even know hat the letters meant. He didn't even graduate with an undergraduate degree. The man was a fraud, stop the nonsense comment. In fact, in engineering and the sciences, there is plenty of funding for worthy students to earn their doctorates.
Star West:
I know so many excellent and smart people who had to drop out because they got in debt and couldn't continue. College is very expensive and the financing rules are stacked against the student, especially in grad schools. Some loans even require payback while the student is in school.
And a fraud? Yes, in the strictest sense. But fate gave him a PhD and he made good use of it.
For this guy, you could re-pen Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Love" quote to "Tis better to have LIVED and lost than never to have LIVED at all."
The man obviously found the meaning of life and lived it to the fullest. May you find yours.
He still had to of been a smart man I would be willing to bet at a minimum 90% of the population can't do the math that it takes to be an engineer. I know they have computer programs today that will do the math for you, but you still have to check the work & make sure it is correct.
here's hoping the bank accidentally drops 1 million in my bank account, and I get to vegas - double my money - and get back before the bank figures it out.
then I can be applauded as "finding the meaning of life and living life to the fullest!"
this is why america is doomed...frauds are applauded routinely!
stc - most sociopaths ARE smart people.
thats the worst part...if they were dumb, they wouldnt be so dangerous.
here's hoping what he owned up to is all that he truly did wrong...something tells me that isnt likely the case.
Gotta agree with some of the people posting regarding fraudulent representations. There is nothing a despise worse than a fraud who goes to the plastic surgeon and gets "chest enhancements" and tries to pass off "store boughts" for "home growns". That is the epitome of paying to be a fraud.
At least this guy didn't pay to be a fraud.
Back in the day, many engineers did not have college degrees. Instead, they learned on the job. It's a shame that companies will no longer take the time and investment in their workers that is necessary for that approach to work.
There are more people in our society who have gotten degress that couldn't afford them then there have been that could afford them. He could have done like all of the others have, working your way through college. Or by applying for Loans, Scholarships & Grants. There are also Technical Schools that offer various engineering programs that many companies prefer to hire these individuals.
What is it with society that they seem to think lying and cheating your way through life is acceptable. And there is always an excuse for bad behavior. No wonder were going down the tubes.
Star West
Get over it and yourself.
A degree of any kind proves one thing, you have the ability to attend class and placate the "professor".
I know several people with a PhD, and they're wonderful people, but can't get beyond theories. I also know several "technicians" with NO degree that those people with a PhD can't keep up with.
Don't denigrate the lack of a formal education with a lack of ability or calling people a "fraud". The real frauds are the ones with the degree that have no concept of reality.
Well, I have worked with Engineers in the past,by and large they are people that think they know it all,no one that did not graduate from the same school knows how the world works.several examples,I knew a group of engineers that designed a machine to do a job,but when it came time to service the engine that powered the machine,they had welded steel bars blocking access to the engine and had destroyed the service manuals that came with the engine,then wondered why we the auto mechs were having a hard time servicing the machine. Another example,we had a machine that was used to form a material that was made from paper but was designed to be sandwiched between two sheets of very thin aluminum the engineer that was designing repair parts for this machine made the parts wrong,the parts would not fit the way they were designed,the engineer said that the mech did not know his job.Parts had to be redesigned,by a different engineer,then installed,then the parts worked.Final example,engineer ordered a check valve in a coolant water system installed the way the engineer wanted it,not according manafacturer specs causing about 35.000 damage,mistake was repeated,causing,about 50.000 damage.engineer hired an outside expert,50.000,expert took one look at the valve,told engineer to install the valve properly,cooling system worked properly after that,engineer said my bad,went on screwing up other jobs.I remember what an ex electrical engineer said to me once,"in every project there comes a time to shoot the engineer and start doing some real work".
Ive been a cad draftsman for 18 yrs. working under engineers. The computer programs they have today can do just about anything an engineer could do back in the old days as far as designing buildings. If you use the correct building codes for where the building is going to be located. You just type in the standard live & dead loads, wind factor, usually 100 mph for 3 second gusts. type columns most are W8x31 or W8x24 it will tell you the size, thickness & width of footing for the columns. type in the span of the beams & the computer will tell you what size to use with allowable deflection. Most public buildings are designed with a safety factor of 5.
Heart warming story. Thanks!!
What's "heartwarming" about a living a lie, being a fraud, and thief?
Dude, we get it. You've stated your opinion multiple times. Time to move on.
Let me do the honors for everyone so we can move on..you got a big mouth and a bad attitude Star and need to go blog somewhere else so this family can have some peace away from you.
If Star West could get a job with his education he wouldn't have time to comment on everyones blog. Star seems you have some issues. It stated the man in noway ever used this Ph.D to his advantage so he frauded nobody.
And did you even read the whole article, Star? It said that he never used his PhD to get a job, that he achieved everything he did on his own merits. It also never said that there was anything in the safe. It seems to me that if the safe had been loaded with cash or valuables, that would have been mentioned. So, he probably stole an empty safe, maybe as a joke. I'm sorry that you're so angry about this, but there's really no need for it.
@emmy, and you believe that? After all, he said it to his wife according to her, no co-workers were interviewed. What was in the safe? It's all well and good because what, he's white with a blond wife? Like it was ok for Romney to dress up as a cop and pull people all while dodging the draft in business school, SCHNORT! So if, oh, I don't know, let's say, Eric Holder, were discovered to be using a similar fraud, that would be ok, right? The article is poorly written and missing too much info to judge. Strange fruit of our society.
You're barking up the wrong tree with that nonsense, NC. Browse my profile if you get bored sometime; you'll see that I'm not the kind of person you accuse me of being. I was just commenting on an article that I found entertaining; you come across as one of those "strange fruits" who have to turn everything into a disjointed political argument.
I didn't accuse you of anything....I poked fun at all people who buy the article outright as fact. I also pointed out the blatant hypocrisy about this guy's admitted fraud and theft in a time when the same posters want to eviscerate so many others.....like Holder....for doing nothing this bad.......if that's not you, why feel stung?
In the end, the man was a thief. He may have been fun, and used his wit to come clean in the end. But he stole a safe taking money from someone else, stole his Phd taking for himself what others earned...and putting everyone that worked for him or who used his designs at risk, and then ultimately stole time from himself and his wife by smoking.
The only think to learn from this is that the man was a thief, who put his own interests above all others repeatedly. Very sad.
Technically, the article doesn't state what was in the safe or why he stole it. Stealing is bad, yes, but it could have been empty? Or had his own money or stuff in it? Not that it excuses it, but it doesn't give details regarding the contents of the safe.
It does sadden me that he didn't come clean sooner about the PhD. He sounds like a fun guy, but it does detract from the education people spend years writing and researching to obtain those 3 little letters. Personally, my conscience wouldn't have allowed me to go on that long with that only my shoulders, but at least he did have a sense of humor and appears to have been competent at his job.
Everyone is a thief or a liar in some way.
Or maybe just maybe you break the mold. Have you ever lied? Ever stole anything??? Even if you didnt mean too?? We are HUMAN it happens. He never hurt anyone with what he did.
We also have something else in common with this man. We are all gonna die. Think about that and ask yourself if you wouldn't want a little forgiveness from those left behind.
You do not have to be a Phd to be an engineer. 4 yr degree, 4 yr EIT, & pass the state exam. You get your license.
While I agree with several commenters here that Patterson was nothing more than a fraud and a thief, who would have been prosecuted had he come clean in life, there is something deeper here. Here's a guy with three years of college, probably mostly spent on unrelated subjects who mistakenly obtained a PhD and was able to secure employment with it. In addition to the comments that "would be great engineers" can't afford college, this guy proved that training and education aren't everything. A college degree is oftentimes nothing more than a piece of paper. Many times the one with the degree is unqualified while the one working under him should be in his place. We put entirely too much stock in that little piece of paper.
I have been in the workforce for decades and have never once been asked to prove documentation of my education. Maybe if I did it would nudge me over obama's magic definition of "rich".
I have been able to succeed so far based on demonstrated abilities to perform not on abilities to pass tests.
Aside from dying young, Mr. (or Dr.) Patterson was one lucky son of a gun! He sounds like he would have been really fun to know. Way to go out, sir!
Works for Thee.
Yer Pal Always,
Thee
Keep going Star West....then people telling you to 'move on' keep posting as well. The back and forth is very humorous.
The world needs less liars. He did his part. Sayonara champ.
FDA approves the sale of cigarettes to white trash (lab mice) - enough said.
Kind of puts things into perspective...
Really people, breath. You all sound like a bunch of sore losers, for whatever reason. If you see nothing else, then see that he loved his wife. Yes he smoked, yes he knew better, and he admits to regretting that, but he loved her. As for the rest of his coming clean about his life , are you all that so damn perfect?
Apparently whatever he was doing didn't need the schooling behind the shiny piece of paper. It's about what you know and he knew enough to do his job or they wouldn't have kept him as an engineer. Not to condone what he did but the whole college degree is a corrupt system anyways. I have an associates degree and it has the same amount of career schooling as friends that graduated majors with bachelor's degrees. The main difference is mine was completely career orientated. Their degree had unused math, english, health, gym classes to make them "more rounded".
I want to know what was in that safe. Why do reporters do things like this?
Yes, I want to know about the safe too! Was it stolen from family members, college roommates, or an employer? What was in the safe?!
Come on, Elizabeth Chuck! Dig deeper!!
I am curious as well. But this is BSNBC (Now NBC Snooze) - you can't expect them to provide all of the details. It might undermine the headlines and tell you that there really isn't a story after all. The image of stealing a safe conjures up a pile of cash and gems but it may very well have been empty.
Kind of makes up for some of the educated idiots who have advanced degrees and can't function at a real job.
This world is not short of educated folks who are humble and compassionate. I hope you are willing to give credit where credit is due.
Bill
Humble and compassionate doesn't get the job done. I would rather work with someone who has real experience than someone who has a worthless degree. Not having a degree doesn't mean that people haven't studied their field.
I get tired of people thinking they are worth more because they have to pay off their education. That was a choice they made and if they can't afford it, perhaps it was a bad choice.
I worked with a guy who admitted he had a master's degree in EE based on vacuum tube technology. His employer was well aware of the fact but still paid him because he had an advanced degree despite the advent of "chip" technology.
This "Star West" poster sure sounds like someone with some serious issues...
"Issues?" He's got a subscription.
Big +1 on that one. You made me smile!
Now he needs a prescription.
Look as far as I know PHD stands for Pile it Higher and Deeper, and trust me I know a few PHD'S So from my perspective he should have been proud of the title. Besides all the PHD's I know couldn't function in this world all they had was to rely on their degree.
Star West is about the biggest cry baby I have ever seen.....I think your mom needs to give you a hug, and maybe bring you your blanky and sippee cup....
Amen.
So sad for your loss.
When they do the movie of his life (oh, c'mon, you know there are people in Hollywood burning up the phone lines already), they should get Jason Bateman to play the part.
To the engineers he worked with who had no idea he didn't really have a doctorate, Patterson said, "I'm sorry, but you have to admit my designs always worked very well."
"He didn't ever use it to any advantage at all for getting jobs or anything. . ."
If he didn't use the PhD status for a job, how did the other engineers know he had one??
However, I hope this article is not the example that other manipulative people will use to deceive the public. A PhD is attainable. The vast majority of PhD students are paid to earn that advanced degree!
RIP, sir. I'm glad you had a chance to make peace before you died.
Just guessing, but I'm sure he relayed the story about how he got his "PhD". It sounds like a good story and conversation starter.
RIP Val. You're a "doctor" as far as I'm concerned. You had more brains and insight than most of a dozen put together. As one who also has a "banned for life" file at Disney, sleep well.
(P.S. to Disney. It doesn't really work. Been back several times.)
If a bank makes a mistake with a deposit by doubling it, an honest person points out the error. If a person hands out too much change back from a purchase, an honest person points out the error. To do otherwise for something that was not "earned" is dishonest. For a university to hand out a degree in error and him not to correct this mistake is fraud. He did not earn the degree.
Oh god I just laughed by (ba@#$) off. Being banned from Disney is not hard to do. I was there in May, took a picture with Mickey Mouse, when we were done I patted him on the back he actually grabbed both my arms and steered me toward security. I thought he was playing with me so I then gently tapped him on the nose a couple of times and walked away. You would have thought I took a shot at the Pope. Two security guards came rushing toward me to tell me to keep my hands of the characters. I told them I thought he was goofing around with me and they told me it's not a request and I told them to "F-ck off and go back to your trailer park in the Everglades" and walked away
you must have thought this article was about you......
you must have thought this article was about you......
you must have thought this article was about you......
you must have thought this article was about you.
frankie ;; you going carly on us...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWrudgCc3Q&feature=related