Patterson Office Tower

The Patterson Office Tower was built in 1968. The building was named after James Patterson, which was the President of the University of Kentucky from 1869 to 1910. Multiple other buildings and monuments around campus are to memorialize him, however, the Patterson Office Tower is the most prominent structure in his honor. The Office Tower is used to house faculty offices, conference rooms, classrooms, and it has a restaurant on the second floor. The Patterson Office Tower is located on plaza at the corner of Patterson Drive and Administrative Drive. Its 18th floor is at the highest point on campus. The placement of the Patterson Office Tower and its height allows the building to be visible from most parts of campus. The fact that the tower is visible from most points on campus creates a very prominent image with the Patterson Office Tower. James Patterson was an extremely prominent figure on University of Kentucky’s campus for a very long time and still to this day is. His actions aided in creating the university and pushing it to become what it is today. Therefore, the placement of his memorial needed to be in a prominent area and the highest point on campus fits that criteria. The pure size of the building is a statement in itself. The height creates the idea of an important and significant structure. Which reflects the important figure, James Patterson, which the Patterson Office Tower was built to honor. The placement of the building on campus creates the association of prominence with not only the Patterson Office tower itself but James Patterson as well.