The Power of One Award Committee selected Msgr. Marvin Mottet, a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport, to receive its Power of One Award.
Msgr. Mottet accepted the award Jan. 18 at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., during A Community Celebration and Musical Tribute to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The selection of Monsignor Marvin Mottet was unanimous among the Power of One Award committee members. He has used much of his life to uplift and empower others,” said Eric Rowell, assistant director of admission & diversity outreach at Augustana.
A graduate of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Msgr. Mottet has dedicated his life to promoting civil rights and equal opportunities for all people. Ordained to the priesthood in 1956, then-Father Mottet helped form the Catholic Interracial Council to address racial discrimination and segregation in Davenport. In the summer of 1963, as a prelude to the March on Washington, he assisted in gathering 2,000 marchers in similar fashion to a rally in Davenport. This march and rally played an important role in convincing Iowa’s legislature to pass a Fair Employment Practices Act in the fall of 1963.
In 1969 Fr. Mottet opened the Social Action Department for the Diocese of Davenport to address the causes of poverty and create institutional change. He helped launch Quad Cities Interfaith and Interfaith Housing to address poverty locally. He helped form the St. Martin de Porres Society supporting a food pantry and clothing ministry, and served as one of the campaign leaders for the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.
In November, Msgr. Mottet was recognized by the Davenport Civil Rights Commission, NAACP, LULAC, and other local organizations for his work in advancing civil rights.
