Franklin Pierce University Announces $750,000 Gift from Robert M. Patterson ’69 & Nancy A. Patterson

Gift will expand and enhance space in the University’s Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication

Franklin Pierce University is pleased to announce a remarkably generous $750,000 gift from donors Robert M. Patterson ’69 and Nancy A. Patterson, that will provide the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication with greatly expanded production and education capabilities. This latest gift brings the Patterson’s cumulative giving total to over $1 million.

“Since its founding in 2002, the Fitzwater Center has driven Franklin Pierce University’s leadership in communications and media education by providing our students with unique experiential opportunities,” said President Kim Mooney ’83. “A key component of that immersive experience has been the Patterson Television Studio. Bob and Nancy’s latest gift will allow the University to expand and improve both the studio and adjacent areas used by our communications and media programs, and will greatly enhance our students’ ability to gain real world experience while studying at Pierce.”

The Patterson’s most recent gift, which is the largest ever by a single alumnus to Franklin Pierce, will be used to nearly double the size of the Patterson Television Studio, modernize its lighting and other key functional features, create a new Patterson Video Editing Suite, and update the Patterson Communications and Media Learning Space.

Named for the national press secretary for two U.S. Presidents, the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University was founded in 2002. The Fitzwater Center’s facilities enable Franklin Pierce students to write, film, edit, and produce programming for television, radio, print, and digital media outlets, including NHPBS’s The State We’re In and Anthony Payton’s Common Ground Initiative podcast. In addition to supporting the hallmark goal of Franklin Pierce University —preparing students to be confident, knowledgeable citizens and finding their voice in the public discourse — the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication is dedicated to educating leaders of conscience in public communication, from the town hall to the nation’s Capital. Through its innovative PoliticsFitzU program, students covered the critical 2024 New Hampshire primary and welcomed five presidential candidates to the Rindge Campus for its Pizza & Politics series, which affords students the opportunity to engage directly with candidates.

“Bob was not only one of the pioneering funders of the Fitzwater Center, but also joined Marlin as one of the first members of the Center’s Advisory Board,” said President Mooney continued. “He is a true pioneer in the field of satellite broadcasting and a wonderfully loyal alumnus. He and Nancy have always been deeply involved in the Center’s growth, and this gift builds on that remarkable foundation.”

Robert M. Patterson ’69 is a titan in the field of satellite communications services. One of his standout achievements was orchestrating the very first televised event via a U.S. domestic satellite, revolutionizing sports broadcasting by pioneering the first use of domestic satellite transmission for live telecasts of MLB, the NBA and the NHL. He also achieved groundbreaking feats such as the world’s inaugural satellite transmission in High-Definition Television (HDTV), negotiated the foreign international transmission rights for the 1984 Summer Olympics, and further cemented his legacy as an industry trailblazer through his innovative use TVROs for the Holmes vs Cooney Championship boxing match.

Beyond Patterson’s contributions to sports broadcasting, his role in televising critically important geopolitical events is equally impressive. He facilitated satellite coverage for numerous NASA missions, played a pivotal role in bringing to the airwaves President Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China as well as the Nixon-Frost interviews which were viewed by more than 50 million households.  Patterson also arranged satellite transmissions for history making events such as the Reagan-Gorbechev Summit Meetings, the reunification of West and East Berlin, and Operation Desert Storm. While Bob’s decision in 2004 to sell his company the SPACECONNECTION Inc. to the prominent Canadian satellite operator Telesat marked the end of an era, his unprecedented achievements within the satellite communications industry will resonate for years to come.

“The significance of having the communication center named after Marlin Fitzwater, the esteemed White House Press Secretary, and its alignment with Franklin Pierce University’s commitment to excellence in communications learning, gives me great pride in supporting my alma mater, honoring Marlin’s legacy, and sharing my success of being a pioneer within the satellite communications industry,” said Patterson.

In 2002, with the opening of the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication, the Patterson Television Studio was dedicated in recognition of the Patterson’s generous support. Mr. Patterson also served as a University Trustee for ten years and is a 2019 recipient of the Fitzwater Medallion for Leadership in Public Communication by an alumnus.

← return to news