U.S. House observes moment of silence in memory of the late Dawson Mathis

WASHINGTON — Members of the House, led by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, observed a moment of silence Tuesday evening in recognition of the late Dawson Mathis, who previously represented the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia.

A memorial service for Mathis, who represented the Southwest Georgia district in the House from 1971-81, has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in his hometown of Nashville. Mathis died April 17 at a Tifton hospital at age 76.

Bishop led the House in the moment of silence after making remarks about the man who he said had been a mentor to him.

“George Washington Carver once said, ‘No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it,’” Bishop said on the floor of the House. “Indeed, Congressman Dawson Mathis devoted many years of dedicated service to the people of Georgia through his meaningful contribution of energy, skill and genuine passion, and for it, he will be remembered for years to come.

“On a personal note, Congressman Mathis was one of my predecessors in serving the Second Congressional District of Georgia, and I was blessed with his friendship, counsel and mentorship over the years. Congressman Mathis was a great representative for Southwest Georgia and Rural America, and I looked up to him as an example of how a public servant should serve his constituents.”

Mathis was 29 when he left his job in TV journalism in Albany to run for the House seat that was being vacated by Rep. Maston O’Neal Jr., D-Bainbridge. He served on the House Agriculture Committee during his decade in the House, which ended when he decided to leave his congressional seat to challenge U.S. Sen. Herman Talmadge in Georgia’s 1980 Democratic Primary. Talmadge, who was facing ethics issues, survived a runoff against future Georgia Gov. and Sen. Zell Miller, but lost that November to Republican Mack Mattingly.

After an unsuccessful attempt to regain his 2nd District House seat from his successor, Charles Hatcher, in 1982, Mathis became a lobbyist whose clients included a Georgia peanut growers association. Bishop unseated Hatcher in 1992.

Bishop saluted Mathis “for his outstanding public service and his everlasting commitment to improving the quality of life for our citizens” and asked his fellow representatives to join him and his wife in extending condolences to Mathis’ family.