William Penn Patrick

Patrick sought out the Republican nomination for governor of California, in 1966.[6] Patrick alleged that a pollster, Mervin Field, had accepted money to influence a poll in the campaign.[7] Mervin Field sued Patrick for libel, for damages of US$4 million, and was awarded US$300,000.[7] Patrick later lost the nomination, to Ronald Reagan.[8] The New Republic described Patrick's campaign strategy as that of "out-Reaganing Ronald Reagan".[9] In 1967, Patrick formed a fundraising group to run for Thomas Kuchel's Senate seat.[10] Patrick was later nominated for Vice President of the United States, in 1967,[11] by the California Theocratic Party.[12] The Los Angeles Times referred to Patrick as the "strangest politician".[13] He was mainly popular among ultraconservative and ultra right political circles in California.[14]

Patrick began his experience in sales selling products door-to-door in Illinois.[15] He was the owner of companies including Leadership Dynamics, a controversial company which was the first form of Large Group Awareness Training,[16] and Holiday Magic, a door-to-door cosmetics company[17] later termed by the United States Federal government to be fraudulent.[18][19] Mind Dynamics was initially founded by Alexander Everett, and Patrick backed the company before buying it.[20][21] Patrick's companies were later investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission,[19] on allegations of pyramid schemes.[22] Leadership Dynamics folded amidst lawsuits and allegations of physical and sexual abuse.[23]

William Penn Patrick died on June 9, 1973, at age 43, in the crash of his privately owned P-51D Mustang[19][24] near his farm at Clearlake Oaks, California. He was flying the plane at the time; after making a low pass, he pulled up steeply, stalled, and entered a spin from which he didn't recover. Although he was a certified pilot, he had only 154 hours of flight time in the P-51D, and only about four hours over the preceding three months.[25] He was flying with Christian George Hagert, 30, director of Holiday Magic of Helsinki, Finland, who also died in the crash.[26]