Franklin Pierce University received a $750,000 gift from Robert M. Patterson of the Class of 1969 and Nancy A. Patterson that will provide the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication with expanded production and education capabilities. This latest gift brings the Pattersons’ cumulative giving total to more than $1 million.

The 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.

“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,” stated college President Kim Mooney. “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.”

Patterson’s achievements include the first televised event via a U.S. domestic satellite, the first use of domestic satellite transmission for live telecasts of Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL and negotiating the foreign international transmission rights for the 1984 Summer Olympics.