Columbia Alumnus Will Be Sworn in As Governor

Lieutenant Governor David Paterson, CC '77 and an adjunct professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, will take over the executive branch of New York state government following Governor Eliot Spitzer's resignation.

Paterson, a former Democratic state senator from West Harlem, will be sworn in on Monday. Spitzer announced his resignation on Wednesday morning.

Since the beginning of this week, Spitzer has been embroiled in a scandal regarding his alleged patronage of a high-end prostitution ring. The scandal is particularly shocking considering the governor’s crusade against ethical violations in politics and business, and it comes on the heels of a year of intense criticism in Albany.

Senator Bill Perkins (D-West Harlem), Paterson’s friend and successor as West Harlem state senator, called the transition of power to Paterson’s hands an opportunity “that will guide this ship of state through these rocky waters.”

Paterson, now 53, inherited deep roots in New York politics from his family. His father, Basil Paterson, was West Harlem’s state senator in the 1960s and later became New York secretary of state. The elder Paterson was also essential to founding the “Harlem Clubhouse,” which has dominated local politics since the 1960s, along with Congressman Charles Rangel (D-Harlem), former mayor and now SIPA professor David Dinkins, and former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton. Basil Paterson also ran for lieutenant governor, but not with the success his son would have years later.

David Paterson’s achievements have also been recognized outside of the political realm. Last year, the University honored him as a notable Columbia College alumnus with a John Jay award. In his acceptance speech, he reflected nostalgically on his alma mater and joked about his college days. “When I finally graduated,” he said, “there were people there who graduated summa cum laude, there were people there ... who graduated magna cum laude, there were people who found so many other things to do at Columbia than study, that we graduated Thank You Laude.”

Several years after graduation, Paterson began to follow in his father’s footsteps as a neighborhood political activist. In 1985, he was elected to represent West Harlem in the New York State Senate and by 2002 became the first non-white minority leader. Spitzer sought out Paterson to be his running mate in his 2006 gubernatorial bid, and after soundly defeating their Republican opponents, they were sworn into their positions in January 2007.

Paterson’s political successes are especially impressive considering that he has transcended the limitations of a physical disability. Although the lieutenant governor is legally blind, colleagues and supporters praise him for seeing in ways few other politicians can.

“One thing you’ll notice when David Paterson speaks to you, he looks you directly in the eye. And you don’t even know that he’s blind when you first start speaking to him,” SIPA professor Esther Fuchs said. “He’s just sort of an extraordinary listener. He engages with people. There’s an optimistic world view, an amazingly pragmatic approach to getting the job done, and a man who people like and trust.”

Spitzer submitted a statement to University President Lee Bollinger for the 2007 John Jay Awards commending Paterson’s moral compass. “Throughout his historic role in various levels of elected office, Lt. Gov. Paterson has truly upheld your institution’s overall philosophy of excellence, having realized many accomplishments while maintaining personal integrity and an outstanding record of leadership. David Paterson not only embodies the positive character that is the hallmark of all Columbia graduates, but has gone on to succeed in so many areas of public life.”

Spitzer’s assessment was readily corroborated by Paterson’s peers.

“This is not a prosecutor or somebody who sees himself as ethically superior or morally superior than anybody else, you know,” Fuchs said, comparing Paterson to Spitzer. “He’s obviously got strong sense of public service, strong ethics, strong morals, and he doesn’t preach. So, you know, really, really dramatically different.”

State political pundit Gerald Benjamin, GSAS ’68 and ’70, noted that Paterson's Columbia ties may help the University. Benjamin said that the lieutenant governor “knows Columbia. He knows its needs. That could certainly be sympathetic to Columbia.”

Josh Hirschland contributed to this article.
betsy.morais@columbiaspectator.com