Mathiowetz reflects on 43 years at the House

Al Mathiowetz isn’t sure what he’ll be doing Tuesday other than having a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

But one thing is for sure.

He will not be part of the action when the Legislature reconvenes for the start of its biennial gathering.

After 43 years of working for the House, including the last 10 as chief clerk, Mathiowetz is retiring.

“I’ve got plenty to do,” he said during a New Year’s Eve interview. “I’ll take a break, step back and see where it takes me.”

That most likely includes more trips with his wife, Carol, to see family in Arizona and Los Angeles — things that have been almost impossible during the first five or six months of the year.

“I want to do that more as long as we can,” he said. “I want to be able to take vacations on my time, not on legislative time. You struggle with trying to do those types of things, especially when I became chief clerk.”

That scheduling conundrum has been part of Mathiowetz’s life since he began as an administrative assistant in the chief clerk’s office in 1971, after urging from his brothers, James and David, who worked for the House in the 1960s.

“I really enjoyed the activity I did in the front office. … What really inspired me was helping people out at the counter,” he said. “I never dreamt that I’d ever be chief clerk.”

Shortly thereafter, he began his climb up the positional ladder from journal editor to second assistant chief clerk before being promoted to first assistant chief clerk in 1985, where he stayed for 20 years, working closely will longtime Chief Clerk Ed Burdick.

“I just enjoyed so much working with him. He was a great mentor. He really cared about the institution and that’s where I got my love for the place,” Mathiowetz said.

Learning from a legend

In the last 70 years, there have been just three House chief clerks: George Leahy from 1945-66, Burdick from 1967-2004 and Mathiowetz.

Learning from the legendary Burdick was probably the best education one could receive in the intricacies of parliamentary procedure.

“Following a legend like Ed, I feel good about the fact that I was able to provide a smooth transition,” Mathiowetz said.

“One of Al’s strengths was his absolute sense of fairness,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who served as House speaker from 2007-10. “Al was able to have a really good memory and the ability to pull up precedent, and to pull it up quickly, on both sides of an issue.”

Mathiowetz admits there were times he looked around the House Chamber and thought about how fortunate he has been. “I had a front row seat; I could see history being made.

“To be able to say that my office is this beautiful architecturally designed Cass Gilbert building, and I’ve had an office in there for over 40 years is heartwarming.”

'So thankful'

It’s also where he met his wife, who worked at the Capitol in the 1971 session, and understands the hours away from home that a session can demand.

“You’ve got to be so thankful for those people. My wife has been such a good sport about it,” Mathiowetz said. “She understood this process; she was here and lived it. It’s hard for some people to explain it, but she knew what she was getting into.”

It may sound cliché, but Mathiowetz said the thing he’s going to miss most at the Capitol are the staff, members and public.

And vice versa.

“I particularly miss the people like Al Mathiowetz who are professional, very smart and really have public service at their heart,” Kelliher said.

Among the roles of the chief clerk is to advise the speaker on the potential consequences of a ruling, such as with germaneness. Mathiowetz always did so wanting to stay out of the spotlight.

“If we’re making the news we’re not doing our job,” he said. “We’re not looking to be out front, and we don’t need to be.”

However, Mathiowetz will be the center of attention when he is recognized during the Jan. 15 floor session that begins at 3:30 p.m. A reception for family, friends and colleagues is scheduled for 5 p.m. that day at Mai Village Restaurant, a few blocks west of the Capitol.