Rear Admiral Thomas T. Matteson (born June 15, 1935) was appointed Superintendent of the

United States Merchant Marine Academy The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...

in the summer of 1993 and served in that position until his retirement in August 1998. Matteson had served as superintendent of the

United States Coast Guard Academy The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is a service academy of the United States Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut. Founded in 1876, it is the smallest of the five U.S. service academies and provides education to future Coast G ...

from June 1989, prior to taking over as superintendent of the Merchant Marine Academy.

Childhood home and education

Matteson is a native of

Upper Sandusky, Ohio Upper Sandusky is a city and the county seat of Wyandot County, Ohio, Wyandot County, Ohio, United States, along the upper Sandusky River, which flows north to Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie. The city is approximately 59 mi (96 km) south of ...

, and graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1957. Matteson subsequently received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

management science Management science (or managerial science) is a wide and interdisciplinary study of solving complex problems and making strategic decisions as it pertains to institutions, corporations, governments and other types of organizational entities. It is ...

from the Naval Postgraduate School and later in 1977 graduated from the

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, space, and cyberspace in joint operation ...

Other billets

Thomas T. Matteson's first Coast Guard assignment was on the USCGC Castle Rock (WAVP-383), then, the cutter WHEC-383 (pictured at left), which was serving in the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Later a

USCG The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

aviator and helicopter pilot, Matteson then entered flight training in 1961 at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

.
See also His subsequent assignments included postings at Coast Guard air stations in Miami, Port Angeles, Washington, and Puerto Rico, before being named chief of staff for the Eighth Coast Guard District, New Orleans in 1984.

Decorations and awards

Thomas T. Matteson's decorations, awards and other honors include the Legion of Merit, the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

, and the NAACP's Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matteson, Thomas T. United States Merchant Marine Academy superintendents United States Coast Guard admirals United States Coast Guard Academy alumni Living people Recipients of the Legion of Merit 1935 births People from Upper Sandusky, Ohio