Dorothy Patten

Dorothy Patten (January 24, 1905 – April 11, 1975) was an American actress and theatre producer whose Broadway career spanned from 1929 to 1957. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee into a wealthy family and, rather than pursuing the conventional path expected of a Southern socialite, chose to pursue a life in the theatre. Following her mother's death in 1927, Patten relocated to New York City and enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She made her Broadway debut in Elizabeth the Queen in 1929.

Patten became connected to The Group Theatre in the 1930s through her romantic relationship with actress and producer Cheryl Crawford, who co-founded the organization in 1931 alongside Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg. Patten provided financial backing for several of the Group's productions and also performed in a number of them. Among the productions associated with her during this period were Men in White, Success Story, Waiting for Lefty, and The House of Connelly. She and Crawford maintained a shared domestic life, visiting one another's family homes in Chattanooga and Akron. Their relationship ended around 1937, after which Patten became companion to Cecelia McMahon, who remained her lifelong partner.

Her Broadway credits across her career included The Duchess of Malfi, Anastasia, Romeo and Juliet, the drama Flare Path, and Retreat to Pleasure, among other productions. Additional stage work included Big Night, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Subway Express.

During World War II, Patten returned to Chattanooga to assist her father with his affairs. Following his death, she donated the family home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and directed her energies toward philanthropic support of arts and theatre organizations in the city. Her financial grant to the University established the Patten Performances program, named in her honor, which as of 2009 had brought theatre to more than 100,000 people in Chattanooga and generated nearly one million dollars for the institution over more than thirty years of continuous operation. Patten died in New York City on April 11, 1975. Her life and career were the subject of a 1980 book, From Chattanooga to Broadway — the Dorothy Patten Story, written by John Wilson and published in Chattanooga, Tennessee.