Dawson Mathis

Dawson Mathis
Mathis, c. 1971
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1981
Preceded byMaston E. O'Neal Jr.
Succeeded byCharles Hatcher
Personal details
BornMarvin Dawson Mathis
(1940-11-30)November 30, 1940
Nashville, Georgia, US
DiedApril 17, 2017(2017-04-17) (aged 76)
Tifton, Georgia, US
PartyDemocratic
EducationSouth Georgia College
OccupationPolitician

Marvin Dawson Mathis (November 30, 1940 – April 17, 2017) was an American politician. A Democrat, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia.

Early life

Mathis was born on November 30, 1940, in Nashville, Georgia, the son of Marvin W. Mathis and Nell Dawson (née Abel) Mathis. Educated at public schools in Nashville, he studied at South Georgia State College. From 1964 to 1970, he was director of WALB.

Career

Mathis was a Democrat. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1971, to January 3, 1981, representing Georgia's 2nd district. While serving, he was a member of the Committees on Agriculture and on Interior and Insular Affairs.

Mathis unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate in 1980, losing the primary to Herman Talmadge. He then unsuccessfully ran again for the House in 1982. Ideologically, he was conservative. He supported low taxes, small government spending, and national defense.

After serving in Congress, Mathis became a lobbyist, as which he represented MassMutual, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the United Parcel Service, and the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, among other clients. He retired in 2009.

Personal life and death

On July 26, 1959, Mathis married Patricia Ann Connell, with their marriage ending in divorce. He then married Sharon Beavers, who he also divorced. He married his third wife, Cathy-Jo Kaseman, c. 2005. He had four children, all from his first marriage.

In 2005, Mathis moved from Washington, D.C., back to Nashville. In his later years, he lived in Berrien County. He was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the National Fraternal Order of Police, and Toastmasters International. He died on April 17, 2017, aged 76, in Tifton, from heart failure.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Mathewson to Matthew-jenkins". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mathis, Marvis Dawson". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Dawson Mathis, congressman and lobbyist, dies at 76". The Washington Post. May 8, 2017. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hendricks, Jim (April 18, 2017). "Former Congressman Dawson Mathis dies". Albany Herald. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ "MATHIS, Marvin Dawson (1940-2017)". www.voteview.com. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Penny Pinching. Dawson Mathis Does It Best". The Times-Herald. July 31, 1980. p. 7. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  7. ↑ "National Defense. No One Tops Dawson Mathis". The Columbus Ledger. August 3, 1980. p. 125. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  8. ↑ Wallace, Jim (April 18, 2017). "Former U.S. congressman and WALB anchor passes away at 76". WALB. Retrieved June 25, 2026.