David Paterson
David A. Paterson CC '77 is the Governor of New York State, a position he assumed following the resignation of disgraced non-Columbian Eliot Spitzer. He is the state's first black governor and the first legally blind governor of any state.
Paterson was precocious, and entered Columbia at age 16. Sources differ on whether he majored in history or political science.</ref>The governor's website lists the former, Columbia College Today the latter.</ref> In any case, he fondly remembers history professors like James Shenton.
Due to his sight disability, his performance varied widely, going from Dean's List to nearly failing out. On the advice of a professor, he left for a year to fight for a job, before returning and graduating.[1] His first three years, Paterson lived in John Jay Hall, living in his parents' Harlem apartment in his senior year.
As a state senator, he pled with President Bollinger for recognition of the GSEU.[2] He is also against the use of eminent domain, which may have an effect on the feasibility of the Manhattanville expansion.
Paterson is now also an adjunct professor at SIPA. He won a John Jay Award in 2007.
