Morgan Mason
| Morgan Mason | |
|---|---|
 Mason in 1981 | |
| Special Assistant to the President of the United States | |
|
In office 1981–1982 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Chief of Protocol of the United States (acting) | |
|
In office January 21, 1981 – March 20, 1981 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States | |
|
In office January 1981 – March 1981 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Special Advisor to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Member of the Commission for the Preservation of American Heritage Abroad | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
26 June 1955 Beverly Hills, California |
| Spouse(s) | Belinda Carlisle |
| Children | James Duke Mason |
| Parents | James Mason, Pamela Mason |
Alexander Morgan Mason (born 26 June 1955) is a politician, film producer, and actor.
Early life
Mason was born in Beverly Hills, California, the son of British parents, actor James Mason and actress and commentator Pamela Mason.[1] His grandfather, the financier and film producer Isidore Ostrer, was head of the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.[2]
As a child, Mason appeared in the films The Sandpiper, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and Hero's Island, along with his father.
Political career
When his grandfather Isidore Ostrer died, Mason inherited his seat on the board of Illingworth, Morris, Ltd., then the world's largest woolen textile company; Mason served as executive director and three years later sold the firm.[3] Moving to the US, he worked for Ronald Reagan's 1979 presidential campaign. He served as assistant finance director, then as major events director, and served as a member of the campaign's executive advisory committee. Reagan selected him as a delegate-at-large from California to the Republican national convention in 1980. After the election, Mason was named special assistant to the co-chairmen of the presidential inaugural committee. After the inauguration, Mason was appointed deputy chief of protocol at the State Department. He was then named as special assistant to the president for political affairs at the White House. During his tenure he was chosen to attend the funeral services of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat as a member of the official United States delegation along with former US presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
Public relations and film
On November 5, 1982, Mason resigned his White House position and became the vice president of Rogers and Cowan Public Relations. In 1984, he became a board member of Musifilm Ltd., a partnership with MCA/Universal. Mason went on to become an executive producer of sex, lies, and videotape (1989), which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. In 1986, Reagan appointed him to The Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, and made him a special advisor to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 1990, Mason became vice president and head of the independent film division of the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills. He left to become chief executive of London Films in 1996. Mason founded the European television channel Innergy in 1999.
Personal life
He married singer Belinda Carlisle in 1986, eloping to Lake Tahoe.[3] They have a son, James Duke Mason (born 1992), a politician, writer, and activist.[4]
References
- ↑ "The Talker". Time. 16 March 1959. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ↑ Isidore Ostrer at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Index. Accessed August 25, 2007.
- 1 2 Podolsky, J. D.; Gold, Todd (13 January 1992). "A Pop-Rock Rebel Finds An Unlikely Mr. Right". People.
- ↑ Stewart, Jenny (1 March 2007). "Belinda talks". Advocate Online. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
- The Reagan Diaries, p. 109
External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Abelardo L. Valdez |
Chief of Protocol of the United States Acting January 21, 1981 – March 20, 1981 |
Succeeded by Leonore Annenberg |