F. David Mathews
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Forrest David Mathews (born December 6, 1935) served as the 11th
United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
from 1975 to 1977, during the administration of President
Gerald R. Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
. He also served two nonconsecutive terms as the president of the
University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
. He served as president and chief executive officer of the
Kettering Foundation The Kettering Foundation is an American non-partisan research foundation founded in 1927 by Charles F. Kettering. The foundation publishes books and periodicals, employs research fellows, and organizes (through the National Issues Forums) public ...
from 1981 to 2022. He is the author of several books on democratic practice and education.


Early life and education

Mathews was born and grew up in
Grove Hill, Alabama Grove Hill is a town in Clarke County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,818. It is the county seat of Clarke County and home of the Clarke County Museum. History The area that is now Grove Hill was originally inha ...
. He attended the University of Alabama (AB in history and classical Greek, 1958) and
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
(PhD in history, 1965). Mathews was president of the University of Alabama from 1969 to 1975 and again from 1977 to 1980, an era of significant change and innovation. At age 33, Mathews was the university's youngest president. He presided over the integration of the university's football program under Hall of Fame coach
Bear Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...
in 1971.


Political life

Mathews is one of only two surviving secretaries of the now defunct Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (the other is his successor,
Joseph A. Califano, Jr. Joseph Anthony Califano Jr. (born May 15, 1931) is an American attorney, professor, and public servant. He is known for the roles he played in shaping welfare policies in the cabinets of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter and for ser ...
). While at HEW, he worked on restoring public confidence in government and reforming the regulatory system. At his swearing in as secretary of HEW, Gerald Ford said, “Mathews brings to this new mission the strength of youth, a sense of purpose, the skills of a scholar, and the trusted record of a successful leader and administrator. That is an impressive inventory by any standard.”


Later life

Mathews served as longtime president and chief executive officer of the
Kettering Foundation The Kettering Foundation is an American non-partisan research foundation founded in 1927 by Charles F. Kettering. The foundation publishes books and periodicals, employs research fellows, and organizes (through the National Issues Forums) public ...
, a not-for-profit research foundation rooted in the American tradition of invention.
Charles F. Kettering Charles Franklin Kettering (August 29, 1876 – November 25, 1958) sometimes known as Charles Fredrick Kettering was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and the holder of 186 patents. For the list of patents issued to Kettering, see, Le ...
, best known for inventing the automobile self-starter, created the foundation in 1927. Gradually, the foundation expanded its focus to look beyond scientific solutions, recognizing that problems like world hunger are not technical problems, but rather political problems. In the 1970s, the foundation began to concentrate on democratic politics, particularly the role of citizens. Mathews was elected to the Kettering Foundation board of trustees in 1972, and became its president and CEO in 1981. He held the position for more than four decades, stepping down in April 2022.


Boards and foundations

Mathews serves on the board of a variety of organizations, including the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, National Issues Forums Institute, The Center for Citizenship, Community, and Democracy, and
Public Agenda Public Agenda is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and public engagement organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and expanding opportunity for all Americans. Over the years, it has focused on many issues of concern to the publ ...
. He has received numerous awards, including a citation as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in the Nation (
Ten Outstanding Young Americans The Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) program is an annual award given by JCI USA (formally known as The United States Junior Chamber or the Jaycees). It is given to ten Americans between 18 and 40 years of age who "exemplify the best attribu ...
), United States Jaycees (1969); member, Alabama Academy of Honor (1973); Nicholas Murray
Butler Medal The Butler Medal, also known as the Colored Troops Medal, was a military decoration of a unit of the United States Army which was issued in 1865. The medal was commissioned by Major General Benjamin Butler and was intended to recognize meritoriou ...
in Silver, Columbia University (1976); Educator of the Year, Alabama Conference of Black Mayors (1976); and the Brotherhood Award, National Conference of Christians and Jews (1979).


Awards

He was inducted into the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2007, the Alabama Center for Civic Life was renamed in his honor as the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. He is the recipient of 17 honorary degrees.


Publications

Mathews has written extensively on such subjects as education, political theory, southern history, public policy, and international problem solving. His books include ''Why Public Schools? Whose Public Schools?'' (NewSouth Books, 2003); ''For Communities to Work'' (Kettering Foundation Press, 2002); ''Politics for People: Finding a Responsible Public Voice'' (University of Illinois Press, 1999); and ''Is There a Public for Public Schools?'' (Kettering Foundation Press, 1996); ''Reclaiming Public Education by Reclaiming Our Democracy'' (Kettering Foundation Press, 2006); and ''The Ecology of Democracy: Finding Ways to Have a Stronger Hand in Shaping Our Future'' (Kettering Foundation Press, 2014). His most recent books are ''With the People: An Introduction to an Idea'' (Kettering Foundation Press, 2020) and ''Together: Building Better, Stronger Communities'' (Kettering Foundation Press, forthcoming).


See also

* Mathews v. Eldridge


References


External links


David Mathew's speeches and photographs during his time as president of The University of Alabama
from University Libraries Division of Special Collections * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mathews, F. David 1935 births Living people People from Grove Hill, Alabama University of Alabama alumni Presidents of the University of Alabama Columbia University alumni United States Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare Ford administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians Alabama Independents