Patriot Plaza Endowments

Established February 2014

Patriot Plaza Endowments

The Purpose

Patriot Plaza, a 2,800-seat ceremonial amphitheater at Sarasota National Cemetery in Florida, features commissioned art that honors veterans, inspires patriotism, and embraces freedom. The space is a place of peace and reflection and exists for our community to honor veterans through ceremonies and events for generations to come. The Patterson Foundation invests in several endowments created to preserve Patriot Plaza’s mission in perpetuity. These endowments include:

The Patriot Plaza Capital Replacement Endowment Fund provides support for capital maintenance and repairs of Patriot Plaza, including its commissioned art installations.
The Patriot Plaza Educational and Engagement Endowment strengthens opportunities for people to connect with Patriot Plaza and its works of public art. This support includes recruiting, training, and scheduling Patriot Plaza tour guides, in addition to coordinating transportation for students experiencing the Patriot Plaza Exploration through the EdExploreSRQ platform.
The University of South Florida Foundation USFSM Veterans Legacy Endowment honors the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans by providing merit awards to USFSM student-veterans experiencing a gap in federal funding or a short-term financial emergency.

FAQ's

Click on frequently asked questions below to learn more about these endowments...

Why does The Patterson Foundation support these endowments?

Patriot Plaza was one of The Patterson Foundation’s nine Legacy Initiatives created in 2010 to honor the Patterson family, which shares a rich history with the U.S. military and our nation’s national cemetery system. Joseph Medill, Jim Patterson’s great grandfather, bought into the failing Chicago Tribune in 1855 and then helped Abraham Lincoln become president. In 1862, during Lincoln’s term in office, Congress authorized purchasing land for the first national cemetery. Medill’s grandsons, Col. Robert McCormick and Capt. Joseph Medill Patterson, served during World War I. Medill’s great-grandson, James J. Patterson, graduated from West Point and rose to the rank of captain in the U.S. Army during service in Europe and Japan in World War II.

Who manages these endowments?

The Patriot Plaza Capital Replacement Endowment Fund and the Patriot Plaza Educational and Engagement Endowment are managed by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The University of South Florida Foundation USFSM Veterans Legacy Endowment is managed by the University of South Florida Foundation.