On the recordApril 25, 2017
It is with a heavy heart and solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding public servant and friend of longstanding, the Honorable Dawson Mathis. Sadly, former Congressman Mathis passed away on Monday, April 17, 2017. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2017, at 2 p.m. in Nashville, Georgia. A Georgia man through and through, Dawson Mathis was born on November 30, 1940, in Berrien County, to Marvin Wilbur Mathis and Nell Dawson Abell. He attended South Georgia College, now South Georgia State College, in Douglas. Before seeking public office, Dawson made a name for himself as the anchor and news director at WALB-TV in Albany, Georgia, from 1964 until 1970. That year, the young 29-year-old Dawson was elected to represent Georgia's Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. He served on the House Agriculture Committee where he was a staunch advocate for the farmers, ranchers, and producers of the district and the Nation. He was known for working with lawmakers across the aisle to find common ground that would best serve the interests of Americans across the country. In 1980, Congressman Mathis ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate. After being defeated in 1982 to regain his House seat, Congressman Mathis became a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., advocating on behalf of groups including Georgia peanut farmers.…
