Robert Patterson (May 20, 1743 – July 22, 1824) was an American educator and director of the United States Mint. He was born on a lease-held farm near Hillsborough, County Down, Ireland, emigrated to the North American British colonies in 1768, and lived for a time in Philadelphia. In 1803, after Jefferson's urging, Patterson taught Meriwether Lewis the refinements of computing latitude and longitude for the upcoming Lewis and Clark Expedition.