Richard Cunningham Patterson Jr. (1886–1966) was an American government official and diplomat. Patterson was the U.S. ambassador to Yugoslavia (1944–1946), Guatemala (1948–1951), and U.S. Minister to Switzerland (1951–53). While ambassador to Guatemala, he popularized the term duck test. Early life and education Patterson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Richard Cunningham Patterson, an attorney, and Martha Belle Neiswanger. After working as a laborer in the gold mines of South Dakota and a year at the University of Nebraska, he received an engineer of mines degree at Columbia University’s School of Mines in 1912. Patterson Affair Amid charges in Guatemala that Patterson was intervening in Guatemala's internal affairs, and rumors that Patterson's life was in danger, Patterson hurriedly departed for the United States on March 28, 1950. His mission in Guatemala was terminated on April 24, 1951, when a new ambassador, Rudolf E. Schoenfeld, presented his credentials. References External links http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/nycdoc/html/rcpbio3.html The Richard Cunningham Papers at the Truman Library 1886 births 1966 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Guatemala Ambassadors of the United States to Switzerland Ambassadors of the United States to Yugoslavia 20th-century American diplomats Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni University of Nebraska Omaha alumni