H. Mac Gipson served in the legislative branch as State Representative from Autauga and Elmore Counties.
He served in the executive branch and the governor’s cabinet as administrator of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board.
Gipson died July 6 at age 89.
He had been in the state house for 16 years, elected for four terms. He was then appointed head of the ABC board by Gov. Robert Bentley in 2011. He remained head of ABC until his retirement at the end of the year 2022, serving under governors Bentley and Kay Ivey.
Gipson served in the House from 1994 to 2010. He was involved in drafting the state education budget as a member of the House Education Appropriations Committee. He also served on the Tourism and Travel Committee.
Later as ABC Administrator, he oversaw operations with over 800 employees and 168 stores.
Gipson earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from then-Troy State University and is a U.S. Army veteran.
Gipson was the retired CEO of Gipson's Auto Tire with stores in Prattville and Millbrook. He was president of the Prattville Chamber of Commerce.
He worked with Gov. Bob Riley to pass income tax cuts, support a sales tax holiday, and implement government waste reduction and ethics reform, all generally associated with the Republican platform. He also supported traditional family values.
The semi-official historian of Alabama, David Azbell, not only followed the history of Rep. Mac Gipson and the ABC Board, he also sampled their wares. He posted this about his friend:
I'm saddened to learn that my ol' buddy, Mac Gipson, who served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1994 to 2010 and was administrator of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board under Gov. Robert Bentley and Gov. Kay Ivey, passed away from cancer yesterday at age 89.
Mac was a good friend who showed me many kindnesses over the years.
While serving as ABC administrator, he invited me to create a Maker's Mark Private Select bourbon that was sold in state-owned liquor stores across Alabama. It was named the "A2Z Summer Simmer" with the "A2Z" representing my last name. I told him in retrospect that we should have named the bourbon pick "Az U Like It."
We've eaten more Farmer's Market Cafe lunches together than I can count, and I consulted on a few of Mac's campaigns for the Alabama House
He was a good man, a kind soul, and a committed legislator who served his district and his state to the best of his abilities.
Now that Mac and State Rep. William Thigpen are together again, I'm sure there's one helluva party going on in Heaven...
Arrangements for Gipson will be announced.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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