Basketball (1940-42)
L.T. “Cotton” Patton was a star basketball player on the Savage team that narrowly lost the national championship.
Born September 15, 1921 at Kiowa, Oklahoma, he attended Limestone Gap High School. Following graduation in 1938, he entered Murray Junior College where he played basketball and helped the Aggies win the state Junior College Championship.
Patton came to Southeastern in 1940 where he played three years for Coach Bloomer Sullivan. A powerfully built guard, he was known as a great clutch competitor, an excellent defensive player, and an outstanding play maker and dribbler.
The 1942 Savages were one of Southeastern’s greatest teams. Sparked by the play of Patton and Otho “Sweetpea” Curtis, the Savages advanced to the national finals at Kansas City where they lost a 33-31 decision to Hamline University in the championship game.
Patton and Curtis were named to the All-Tournament Team, which was a paramount to being named All-Americans. They were the first two athletes in Southeastern’s history to be recognized as All-Americans.
Cotton served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and then returned to college for another year of competition, graduating in 1946, He coached four years at McAlester and Savanna High Schools and then returned to military service during the Korean War as a member of Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Division.
Following military service, he coached at Savanna and Kiowa before moving to Hoopa, California in 1967. He continued to find outstanding success in athletics when he was named 1977 California High School Coach of the Year.
Cotton Patton gained fame as a basketball player at this university and he brought fame to the institution. He was inducted into the Southeastern Athletic Hall of Fame on February 9, 1980.
