F. David Mathews
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Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
Joseph Anthony Califano, Jr. is Founder and Chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, an independent non-profit research center affiliated with Columbia University in New York City...
). 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.”
Mathews was born and grew up in Grove Hill, Alabama
Grove Hill, Alabama
Grove Hill is a town in Clarke County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,438. It is the county seat of Clarke County and home of the Clarke County Museum.-History:...
. He attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
(AB in history and classical Greek, 1958) and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(PHD in history, 1965). Mathews was president of the University of Alabama 1969-75, 1977–1980, 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
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
under Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
in 1971.
Mathews currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the Kettering Foundation
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 public forums on policy in order to answer the question: "what does it take for democracy to...
, a not-for-profit research foundation rooted in the American tradition of invention. Charles F. Kettering, 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 in 1981, he became its president and CEO.
Mathews serves on the board of a variety of organizations, including the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, National Issues Forums Institute, Council on Public Policy Education, and Public Agenda
Public agenda
Public Agenda is a New York City-based non-profit organization engaged in non-partisan research projects in subjects ranging from education to government leadership. The organization was founded by social scientist Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance...
. He has received numerous awards, including a citation as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in the Nation (Ten Outstanding Young Americans
Ten Outstanding Young Americans
The Ten Outstanding Young Americans program is an annual award given by The United States Junior Chamber organization. It is given to ten Americans between 18 and 40 years of age who "exemplify the best attributes of the nation’s young people."People considered for the award are often submitted...
), United States Jaycees (1969); member, Alabama Academy of Honor (1973); Nicholas Murray Butler Medal
Butler Medal
The Butler Medal was a military decoration of a unit of the United States Army which was first created on October 11, 1864. The medal was created under the authority of Major General Benjamin Butler and was intended to recognize meritorious or heroic acts of bravery performed by African American...
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).
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 16 honorary degrees.
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, 2002); Politics for People: Finding a Responsible Public Voice (University of Illinois Press, 1999); and Is There a Public for Public Schools? (1996). His most recent book, Reclaiming Public Education by Reclaiming Our Democracy (Kettering Foundation Press, 2006), focuses on the relationship between the public and public education.