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C. Melvin Patrick Dies 
Published The Delegate

C. Melvin Patrick of New York city, publisher of The Delegate, and longtime summer resident of Oak Bluffs, died on Tuesday, May 14.
  
A graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., and the Atlanta School of Social Work in Georgia, he did graduate work at the Shrivenham University in England and at Heidelberg University in Germany.

He was president of the Pan-Hellenic Council of New York, a grouping of college fraternities and sororities. He produced an annual Career Day at the Brandeis High School for a number of years. After working 25 years as a columnist and advertising sales manager of The Pittsburgh Courier, he became assistant to the borough president of New York city. For the next 20 years, he worked in that capacity for borough presidents, Dudley, Motley and Sutton.

Mr. Patrick was a board member of the Phelphs Stokes Fund which aided African students, and was also a board member of the Inner City Broadcasting Companies, WLIB and WBLS, New York city.

He is mourned by his daughter, Ann Patrick of San Francisco, and his devoted friend Hilda Stokely of New York city, among many others.
  
He was a generous contributor to charitable organizations, among them the Nathan Mayhew Seminars and Trinity Episcopal Church of Oak Bluffs.

IN MEMORIAL

1914 - WELCOME AND FAREWELL - 1985
C. Melvin Patrick

Cuthbert Melvin Patrick was born at a time of outer calm and inner turmoil for Afro-Americans. At that time there was no light nor end to the tunnel of freedom for "America's one tenth." However, what he accomplished during his 71 years to help stop the slaughter of hope is a saga of aggressive determination. He was joined in marriage with his childhood sweetheart Fannie Smith. From this marriage they had two daughters Patricia and Ann. In every sense of the phrase, he was a "one of a kind human being." His dry wit was clear and clean, and he always seemed to be a person deeply engulfed in a purpose, but it was impossible to monitor the depth of his feelings. He was brilliant in his chosen profession and pursued success along a single course to insure victory over failure. He seemed to put a full measure into life and his out-take was never as great as his input. In many cases his tough action pricked the conscience of the uncaring in his drive to stem the hemorrhage of bias and anguish. Pat cherished life, but he was not the type to fear death. He probably accepted it as another assignment to cover for the next issue of the Delegate, the magazine he published for twenty years.
  
If you have the '83 edition, check pages 74-75. What his peers said about his living then is a fitting farewell to CUTHBERT MELVIN PATRICK:
  
"His aim was to be of service to people. All his life he quietly carried out this goal. For 20 years he published Delegate Magazine on whose pages the knowledge of nationally membered Black organizations have been promoted and brought to the attention of the world with dignity. As president of the Pan Hellenic Council of New York, a conglomerate of Afro-American College fraternities and sororities, he produced, staged and coordinated a Career Day Conference at Brandeis High School for minority students. The event opens major avenues of counselling and scholarships to a variety of college-seeking young people.
  
Mel was a stem of the "Big Apple," a real Harlemite. A product of its public school system his three R roots are laced through P.S. 689-89-139 and DeWitt Clinton High School. A graduate of Morehouse College and the Atlanta School of Social Work, he was the holder of business certificates from City College Business School, plus certificates of completion of Graduate Studies from Shrivenham American University, Shrivenham, England, Biarritz American University, Biarritz, France and was the only Afro-American student in Heidleberg University, Heidleberg, Germany while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during WW II.
  
Separated from the service, Mel gave the N'York edition of the "Pittsburgh Courier" the first 25 of his peace time years, as columnist, reporter and advertising manager. In addition he gave 20 years to the office of the Borough President of Manhattan. He started that stint with the Hon. Hulan Jack, the first Black to be elected to fill that office. Mel became a fixture and stayed on to serve through the administrations of Hon. Edward Dudley, Hon. Constaince [[Constance]] Baker Motley, and Hon. Percy E. Sutton.
  
Listed in "Who's Who in Black America," he was a sought after affiliate of numerous organizations. A Life Member of the NAACP, he was also an Elk, a Mason, a member of EDGES and Nat'l director of publicity for the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He served on various boards and among them were The African Student Aid Fund of the Phelphs-Stokes Fund and the Inner City Broadcasting Co., Harlem YMCA, Harlem Unit American Cancer Society and a Life Member of St. Luke the Beloved Physician Episcopal Church.
  
The son of the late Morton Coleridge and Elmena Patrick, Mel, a widower, is survived by his sister Edna Patrick, and his daughter, Ann Patrick-Phox, along with cousins, Elva Butler, the Attwells, Sister-in-law Ruth Smith, Brother-in-law Nathaniel Smith, several "Nieces" and "Nephews", and a long time friend and "Co-partner in crime" Hilda Stokely. He is mourned by a host of friends both at home and abroad. Born July 24, 1914, he died on May 14, 1985 after a short illness in his native New York City.

"I'M WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY"

Crowds At Mel Patrick Funeral And His Wake
[[drawing of a derby hat]]

Friends of Mel Patrick didn't forget his trademark - his beloved derby - when they laid him out for viewing. Mel was a debonair well dressed man who frequently wore a derby and apparently loved the attention which it gained. When he was prepared for the viewing at Benta's funeral home, the derby was placed on top of his casket. His friends looked, smiled, and remembered.

DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN A Professional's Professional 

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