Patterson ’75, Snowden Establish Scholarship for Johnson County Students

University of the Ozarks alumna and trustee Ann Patterson '75 and her husband, Max Snowden, have established an endowed scholarship for students from Johnson County, Arkansas.

The Ann Patterson & Max Snowden Scholarship Endowment was created earlier this month and will support Ozarks students from Johnson County who have a financial need.

Ann Patterson, a 1975 graduate of Ozarks and a member of the U of O Board of Trustees since 2017, was a senior administrator and public policy advocate in Arkansas for almost 50 years before retiring in 2023.

Patterson's father is the late J.T. Patterson, long-time business manager for what was then The College of the Ozarks. J.T. and his wife, Lucile, were active in many college activities which allowed Ann and her brother Jack to spend time on campus "enjoying the privileges of being a part of the Ozarks family."

Patterson said she has fond memories of her time growing up in Clarksville and that she and Snowden always enjoy visiting the campus.

"Max and I believe our scholarship will help students from Johnson County attain a higher education at Ozarks and potentially make this world a better place," she said.

Most of Patterson's career was in public service in mental health, early childhood, and disabilities. She served in a variety of leadership positions with Partners for Inclusive Communities, a program of the University of Arkansas System and was director of the Arkansas Head Start State Collaboration Office. She worked with the Arkansas Department of Human Services as assistant director of Children's Mental Health and also served as interim director of the Division of Mental Health Services. Having earned a master of health services administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she also held administrative positions with a hospital and a hospice program.

Patterson served many years on the U of O Alumni Association Board of Directors and in 2012 received the University's Alumni Achievement Award. In 2011, she was awarded the Sister Joan Pytlik Award at the Arkansas Kids Count post-legislative conference, which is given in honor of Sister Pytlik and her inspirational advocacy efforts for Arkansas children and families.

Snowden served as executive director of the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape, and Domestic Violence from 1997 until retiring in 2019, and returned to the position as interim executive director for several months in 2020. Prior to joining the commission, he served as the state coordinator for the University of Oklahoma's Southwest Regional Center for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities and the education policy director with Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families.

Snowden is a licensed social worker, certified trainer, and a Crisis Response Team member serving at the September 11/World Trade Center site. He was on the Arkansas Crisis Response Team Board of Directors, serving as president for a number of years and active in the National Organization for Victim Assistance. Throughout his career, Snowden worked with various agencies, community groups and others in the U.S. and internationally to address the problems of alcohol and other drugs, violence, and related high-risk behaviors.

Patterson and Snowden reside in Little Rock and are parents of three adult sons, Scout, Matt and Jake.

For information on establishing a scholarship to support Ozarks students, please contact the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement at 479-979-1234.

Topics: Giving