Jennie Lou Mattox (1935-2015) was a long-time Athens community activist. She was broadly involved in volunteer work in the Athens area, focused primarily on issues of housing.

Mattox’s volunteer contributions led her to serve as a member of the Inter-Community Council (I. C. C.) in the years, 1999-2015, and as Board President from 2004 to 2014. She received the Council’s Leadership Award for Outstanding Community Service for the years, 2009-2015. The I. C. C. community resource center was later renamed the Cameron-Mattox Resource Center in honor of Mattox’s contributions to the organization. In addition, she served on the Athens Housing Authority Board of Commissioners as Resident Representative from 2011 to 2015, and was awarded the Georgia Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities Recognition Award for Selfless and Dedicated Service in 2013.

In 1992, Athens Mayor Gwen O’Looney presented Mattox with a Key to the City for dedicated service to the citizens of Athens-Clarke County during the years, 1974-1992, acknowledging her work pertaining to the Morton Theatre and Parkview Recreation Center, among other efforts.

Mattox avidly volunteered for St. Paul Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Athens. She received an Outstanding Leadership as Choir President award for her service from 1988 to 1990. She also worked with St. Paul’s Vacation Bible School and received a C. M. E. Church 6th Episcopal District Christian Training Award in 2014.

After Mattox’s passing, her family put forth a proposal to rename the 200 block of South Franklin Street as Jennie L. Mattox Street. This proposal was successful in early 2019 and the street was formally renamed at a ceremony held at Clarke Central High School in March 2019.