Mack F. Mattingly Papers, 1918-2023

Summary

Creator:
Mattingly, Mack Francis, 1931-
Date:
1918-2023
Extent:
365 box(es) (161.5 linear feet and 348 megabytes), 334 microfilm reels
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Mack F. Mattingly Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Background

Scope and content:

The Mack F. Mattingly Papers largely consist of papers from Mattingly's career as United States Senator, from 1981 to 1987. There are also materials related to Mattingly's early political activities, his post-Senate career, and his presidential appointments. The types of materials in this collection include correspondence, clippings, press releases, speeches, printed materials, photographs, audio reels, microfilm and memorabilia. The senatorial activities documented are press relations/media action; office administration; legislative; and constituent services. During his six years as U.S. Senator, Mattingly was most proud of his work on the line-item veto bill. There is very little information on Mattingly's 1980 campaign for Senate. However, there are some campaign radio spots included in his audio materials, as well as some press releases and clippings located in his scrapbooks. Also included are journals and letters written by Carolyn Mattingly.

Biographical / historical:

Mack Francis Mattingly was born in Anderson, Indiana on January 7, 1931. He served as Staff Sergeant for four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Afterwards, in 1957, he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from Indiana University. Then he relocated to Georgia where he worked in sales for the IBM Corporation and later owned his own business, M's Inc. from 1975 to 1980.

Mattingly first became active in the Georgia Republican Party, when he served as chairman of the 8th District Goldwater for President campaign in 1964. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Congress 8th district in 1966. In 1968, he became a member of the Georgia Republican Party State Executive Committee and served as vice-chair from 1968 until 1975. He served as chairman of the Georgia Republican Party from 1975 until 1977.

Mattingly was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980, the first Republican from Georgia since 1871. While in the Senate, he served on many committees including: Appropriations Committee (1981-1987); Subcommittee on Military Construction (1983-1987), chair; Legislative Branch Subcommittee (1981-1983); Select Committee on Ethics (1981-1983); Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee (1983-1987); International Finance and Monetary Policy Subcommittee (1983-1987); Rural Housing and Economic Policy Subcommittee (1983-1987), chair; Senate Government Affairs Committee (1981-1983); Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee (1982-1983), chair; and Joint Economic Committee (1983-1987). He was also a member of the Holocaust Commission. During the 99th Congress (1985-1987), he was a member of Senate Leadership, serving as chairman of the Republican Conference's Committee on Committees, which made committee assignments.

As chair of the Military Construction Subcommittee, Mattingly funded military construction worldwide. During 1985, Mattingly introduced legislation concerning the line-item veto. In 1981, as a member of the Select Committee on Ethics, he investigated charges made against former Senator Harrison Williams of New Jersey.

During his career, he authored 40 Senate Bills, Amendments and Resolutions which became law.

Mattingly received the "Watchdog of the Treasury" award, the "Guardian of Small Business" award, and the "Coalition for Peace through Strength" award every year during his Senate tenure.

Mattingly's interests were largely in trade issues, defense policy, and tax policy. He co-authored the tax policy plank of the 1980 Republican Party Platform. Later, in 1982, he was appointed as one of the United States delegates to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, superseded by the World Trade Organization (WTO)

In 1987, President Reagan appointed him Assistant Secretary General for Defense Support for NATO in Brussels, Belgium. In 1988, Mattingly received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service. He was appointed as Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles by President George H. W. Bush in 1992, and served in this position until 1993.

Since 1993, Mattingly has served on numerous boards and commissions: 2004 G-8 Summit Host Committee, vice-chairman; Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee (BRAC), Governor's honorary co-chairman; Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), chairman and member of the board of directors; Hemisphere Inc. the Governor's non-profit enterprise to bring Free Trade Area of the Americas Secretariat to Georgia; CLI, advisory board member; Vestry of Christ Church Frederica, member; Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission, member of the board of directors; and Southeastern Legal Foundation, chairman of the board of trustees.

Mattingly is currently serving on the following boards and commissions: Kennesaw State University (KSU) Foundation Board of Trustees, trustee emeritus; Cumberland Island Association, member of the board of directors; Novecon Financial Ltd., chairman of the board of senior advisors; Institute for Global Economic Growth, chairman of the advisory board; Prosperity Institute, chairman; CompuCredit Corp, member of the board of directors; Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, ex-officio member of the board of directors; Jekyll Island Foundation Advisory Board, member; Steering Committee for Coastal Georgia Historical Society, honorary co-chair and member; Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, U.S. trustee; Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), advisor.

Mattingly has received the following honors and awards: Watchdog of Treasury Award, 1981-1987; National Taxpayers Union Taxpayers Best Friend Award, 1981-1987; National Federation of Independent Business's Guardian of Small Business Award, 1981 and 1987; American Security Council Award, 1981-1987; Southeast Father of Year, 1984; Georgia Wildlife Federation Conservationist of Year, 1985; Selective Service System Distinguished Service Gold Medal, 1985; Secretary of Defense's Distinguished Service Medal for Outstanding Public Service, 1988.

Mattingly co-authored a chapter in Russi and Brassery's Defense Yearbook, 1992 by Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies of UK.

Mattingly married Carolyn Longcamp in 1957. They have two daughters. Carolyn Mattingly died in 1997. Mattingly married Leslie Davisson in 1998. Currently they reside on Saint Simons Island Georgia.

Processing information:

Photographs, audio reels, microfilm, and memorabilia have been separated and cataloged for preservation. Clippings have been copied onto bond paper for protection of content. Mattingly continues to add to his collection from his current activities as head of the Georgia Ports Authority.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into fourteen series: I. Press, II. Administration, II. Legislative, IV. Constituent Services, V. Scrapbooks, VI. Political Activities, VII. Presidential Appointments, VIII. Post-career, IX. Photographs, X. Audiovisual Materials, XI. Artifacts, XII. Carolyn Mattingly, XIII. Personal and Family, and XIV. Additions.

Access and use restrictions

Restrictions:

This collection contains personal identifiable information that has been restricted until 2098 to safeguard information that identifies private individuals.

Terms of access:

Library acts as "fair use" reproduction agent.

Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

Preferred citation:

Mack F. Mattingly Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.