Gordon Derby Patterson (1897-1982) was a chemist who spent nearly forty years with the Central Research Department (formerly the Chemical Department) at the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. Patterson engaged in fundamental research, research assistance, and product development at the DuPont Company's Experimental Station, a large site consisting of numerous research laboratories in Wilmington, Delaware. His primary fields of interest were physical and colloid chemistry and inorganic chemistry. Patterson was also was responsible for organizing the department's original physical research section. Throughout his career, Patterson was granted a total of thirty-two patents as inventor or co-inventor.

Among his numerous professional affiliations, Patterson was a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a 1940 recipient of the Modern Pioneer Award presented by the National Association of Manufacturers. Patterson also represented DuPont at meetings of the Directors of Industrial Research.

A native of Meadville, Pennsylvania, Patterson graduated cum laude from Allegheny College in 1919 with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. He was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa national honor society. He remained active with the college's alumni council and later served on the board of trustees. Patterson joined the DuPont Company as a research chemist in 1923, after receiving his Ph.D. in industrial chemistry from Ohio State University.

During his early years at the Experimental Station, Patterson was involved in research to produce improved pigments and develop related manufacturing processes. Following his promotion to group leader in 1926, Patterson directed research that provided the basis for the pigmentation of Dulux alkyd enamels and the reformulation of DuPont house paints. He was also actively involved in research to develop delusterants for rayon textile yarns during the 1930s. Patterson supervised Army and Navy research projects while assigned to the National Defense Research Committee during the Second World War.

In 1945, Patterson was promoted to research supervisor. Among the many important contributions to fundamental research made by Patterson's research team were investigations into the physical structure of polymer molecules as it relates to the properties of films and fibers, the characterization of colloidal systems, the basic properties of solids and liquids, and the exploration of new physical phenomena and the technical application of physical techniques.

Patterson was named assistant supervisor of the Physical and Analytical Division in 1955. In this capacity, Patterson directed research into high-energy radiation generators, radioactive tracer techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron microscopy, and absorption spectroscopy. Patterson was named supervisor of the Physical and Analytical Division in 1958, which gave him responsibility for a broad program of chemical and physical research. He retired at the end of 1962.