Charles D. Matthews

Charles D. Matthews, a native Texan, served as president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) from its founding in 1972, until his retirement in 1993.  Under his leadership during those 21 years, the organization’s membership grew from the founding 35 companies to over 300 institutions.  Based in Washington, D.C., NOIA became the voice of the offshore business.  It is the only U. S. trade organization representing exclusively the interests of domestic offshore and related industries before legislative and government regulatory agencies.  Charles came to NOIA with some 20 years of Washington experience from direct government employment to lobbyist to trade association management.  His extensive knowledge of the workings of government firmly established NOIA’s credibility before congress and regulatory bodies, and the excellent reputation that it enjoys to this day.  Following service in the U. S. Army Air Corps from 1942-45, he attended Texas Christian University and, subsequently, The George Washington University in the nation’s capital, earning a BA in government and an MA in government and economic policy from the latter.  In addition to his professional talents, Charles was a strict grammarian and an old-world gentleman.  Most of all, he was NOIa and NOIA was Charles Matthews.  His favorite expression, clearly based on his decades of experience in dealing with government, went straight to the point: “the only time the people are safe is when congress is out of session.”