Ronald Keith "Ron" Machtley (born July 13, 1948) is an American politician and former president of Bryant University. Machtley served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

from 1989 to 1995. From 1996 to 2020, Machtley served as president of Bryant University in

Smithfield, Rhode Island Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cens ...

, and was awarded faculty/staff membership in Omicron Delta Kappa there in 2005. Machtley was born in

Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, whi ...

and attended public schools. He received a B.S. from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1970, serving in the United States Navy from 1970 to 1975 and the

United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Se ...

from 1975 to 1995 becoming a commander. Machtley received a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts in 1978 and was admitted to the Rhode Island bar in the same year. Machtley ran for Congress as a

in the 1st District and defeated 28-year incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Fernand St. Germain in a considerable upset. He was reelected two more times and was very popular even as Rhode Island was trending more and more Democratic. In 1992, for instance, he was reelected with a staggering 70 percent of the vote even as

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

easily carried the state. He was a moderate Republican in the mold of

John Chafee John Lester Hubbard Chafee ( ; October 22, 1922 – October 24, 1999) was an American politician and officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Republican Party (United States), he served as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as ...

. Machtley gave up his seat to run for

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capac ...

in 1994. He was the heavy favorite in the Republican primary, but was soundly defeated by

Lincoln Almond Lincoln Carter Almond (born June 16, 1936) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 72nd Governor of Rhode Island from 1995 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the United States Attorney for the District ...

, who went on to victory in November. As of 2020, he is the last Republican elected to the House from Rhode Island and one of only four Republicans to represent Rhode Island in Congress since 1941 (the others being senators

and

Lincoln Chafee Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a m ...

and representative

Claudine Schneider Claudine Schneider (née Cmarada; born March 25, 1947) is an American economist and former politician who served as a Republican U.S. representative from Rhode Island. She was the first, and to date only, woman elected to Congress from Rhode Isl ...

). Machtley was named president of Bryant in 1996 and shepherded it through its transition to university status in 2004. His salary as of 2017 was reported as $719,243, not including an additional $120,726 reported under other compensation from the organization and related organizations. While at Bryant, he has led several major building campaigns. Popular with faculty and students alike, he can be frequently seen at events on campus. In February 2019 Ron and Katie Machtley made a gift of 1 million dollars to push the Expanding the World of Opportunity campaign over the 100 million dollar mark. Shortly thereafter, the Providence Business News reported that Machtley was paid $6.2M in 2017 as part of a retention package. It is believed this is one of the largest such payouts in the history of American higher education. In May 2019 Machtley announced that he will be retiring as President of Bryant University in May 2020. Machtley, an avid golfer, is a member of

Newport Country Club Newport Country Club, is a historic private golf club in the northeastern United States, located in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded in 1893, it hosted both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open in 1895. History Theodore H ...

, and is a

Rhode Island Commodore Rhode Island Commodore, is Rhode Island's highest honor, and an honorary title bestowed upon individuals by approval of the Governor of Rhode Island. It is not a military rank, requires no duties, and carries with it no pay or other compensation. ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Machtley, Ronald 1948 births Living people Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Bryant University faculty Rhode Island lawyers Politicians from Johnstown, Pennsylvania Suffolk University Law School alumni United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy officers United States Navy reservists Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Military personnel from Pennsylvania