F. David Mathews

Forrest David Mathews ( born December 6, 1935 in Grove Hill, Clarke County, Alabama ) is a former American politician. Despite his membership in the Democratic Party, he was a member of the cabinet of Republican President Gerald Ford as health, education and welfare minister.

Most of his adult life spent F. David Mathews at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He began his studies there, he went on after completing his military service in 1960, before he received his doctorate in 1965 from Columbia University with a dissertation on the history of education in the United States. As a Ph.D. He returned to Alabama. At his alma mater, he worked as a history lecturer and quickly rose in the hierarchy. After 1969, he was appointed President of the University. At 33 he was the youngest incumbent in their history.

During his presidency, Mathews earned many contributions to the University of Alabama, where he promoted the Student Internship Project, among others, with a large number of students has been integrated into the everyday work of the university. As the only president of the UA, he was awarded the Algernon Sidney Sullivan Award awarded there.

On June 26, 1975, President Gerald Ford nominated him as successor to Caspar Weinberger for health, education and welfare minister. After confirmation by the Senate on July 22 put Mathews on August 8, the same year his oath of office. With the end of Ford's presidency in January 1977 also Mathews retired from the government.

As a result, he went back to complete his home university, whose president he remained until 1980. After Mathews took over the office of President of the Kettering Foundation, a foundation to promote scientific research.