Mack Mattingly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mack Mattingly
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Official portrait, 1983
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| United States Senator from Georgia |
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| In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Herman Talmadge |
| Succeeded by | Wyche Fowler |
| United States Ambassador to Seychelles | |
| In office September 22, 1992 – March 1, 1993 |
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| Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Dick Carlson |
| Succeeded by | Carl Stokes |
| Chair of the Georgia Republican Party | |
| In office 1975–1977 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Shaw |
| Succeeded by | Rodney Mims Cook Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mack Francis Mattingly
January 7, 1931 Anderson, Indiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Carolyn Longcamp
(m. 1957; died 1997)Leslie Davisson
(m. 1998) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Alma mater | Indiana University Bloomington (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1951-1955 |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant |
| Unit | Hunter Army Air Field |
Mack Francis Mattingly (born January 7, 1931) is an American diplomat and politician. He served as a United States Senator for the state of Georgia. He was a Senator from 1981 to 1987.
Mattingly was the first Republican to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia by popular vote. He was also the first Republican Senator from Georgia since the Reconstruction era, which ended in the late 1870s.
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Early Life and Education
Mack Mattingly was born in Anderson, Indiana, on January 7, 1931. He joined the United States Air Force and served for four years. During the early 1950s, he was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia.
In 1957, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. He studied at Indiana University. After college, he worked for IBM for 20 years in Georgia. Later, he started his own business, M's Inc., which sold office supplies. His business was located in Brunswick, Georgia.
Starting in Politics
Mattingly first got involved in politics in 1964. He led the campaign for U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater for President in Georgia's 8th congressional district. Goldwater won in Georgia that year.
Two years later, Mattingly helped organize the Georgia Republican Party. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives but did not win. He then became a member of the Georgia Republican Party State Executive Committee. He served as Vice Chairman from 1968 to 1975. From 1975 to 1977, he was the Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. After this, he began thinking about running for the U.S. Senate.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
In 1980, Mattingly won a surprising victory. He defeated the long-serving Democratic Senator Herman Talmadge. Mattingly even won more votes than Ronald Reagan in Georgia, who lost the state to Jimmy Carter.
Mattingly served in the Senate from January 1981 to January 1987. As a Senator, he was part of important groups called committees. He was on the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how the government spends money. He also led subcommittees related to the legislative branch and military construction.
He also served on other committees, including those for banking, government affairs, and ethics. Mattingly was known for supporting the line-item veto. This idea would allow the President to reject specific parts of a spending bill. President Ronald Reagan even mentioned Mattingly for this idea in 1985.
1986 Election
In November 1986, Mattingly ran for re-election. He was narrowly defeated by former Congressman Wyche Fowler from Atlanta.
After the Senate
After his time in the Senate, Mattingly continued to serve the country. In 1987, President Reagan appointed him to a role with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in Belgium. NATO is an alliance of countries that work together for defense.
In 1992, President George H. W. Bush appointed Mattingly as the ambassador to Seychelles. An ambassador represents their country in another nation. He served in this role until 1993.
Mattingly has remained active in public life. He serves on several company and non-profit boards. In 2000, he ran for the Senate again but did not win. He has also supported various Republican candidates for President over the years.
Personal Life
Mack Mattingly married Carolyn Longcamp in 1957. They had two daughters, Jane and Anne. Carolyn Mattingly passed away in 1997. In 1998, he married Leslie Davisson, who is a lawyer and former judge.
He currently lives on St. Simons Island, Georgia. He continues to be involved in Republican politics and serves on several corporate boards.
