MEREDITH MATHEWS

Meredith Mathews began his professional career with the YMCA as physical director of the Spring Street YMCA in Columbus, Ohio, in 1937. From there, he moved on to the positions of Boys Work secretary and physical director at the Federal Street YMCA in Youngstown, Ohio. He then served as program director of the YMCA in Lawton, Oklahoma, for two years before becoming the executive director of the USO-YMCA in McAlester, Oklahoma. In 1946, he returned to the Lawton YMCA as executive director.

In 1947, Mathews became the director of the Northeast Fourth Street YMCA in Oklahoma City, a struggling inner-city facility. He used his expertise and business skills to build a new YMCA in this large, minority community, where he remained as director for 10 years. In 1957, he became executive director of the East Madison YMCA in Seattle, Washington, which served another impoverished, minority community. He again managed a series of successful fundraising campaigns that resulted in the construction of a new facility there. This series of successes on behalf of inner city youth led to Mathews’ appointment as associate executive director of the Pacific Northwest Area Council of YMCAs in 1965, a position he held for five years. In 1971 he was named regional executive director of the Pacific Region of YMCAs, overseeing 126 facilities and programs in 11 states. He retired in 1976
after 39 years of service to the YMCA, but remained active in the International Association of Retired Directors of the YMCA.

Mathews was a longstanding member of the A.M.E. church, the N.A.A.C.P., and the Seattle Urban League, as well as other community service organizations devoted to the cause of civil rights. He received many tributes for his services, including a special award for exceptional volunteer service from the Municipal League, a commendation for service to the United Way, an award from the Association of Professional Directors of YMCAs, the Distinguished Service Award from the National Board of YMCAs, and a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding loyalty and devotion to YMCA World Service.

In December 1993, the YMCA of Greater Seattle Board of Directors recognized Mathews by naming a facility in his honor, the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA, the first time such an honor had been given by the Greater Seattle YMCA. The 19 letters of endorsement for Mathews’ Hall of Fame nomination testify to his role as a faithful advocate of the YMCA mission in local communities and in the world.

Mathews was born in Georgia in 1910. He graduated from Wilberforce College in Ohio in 1935, and pursued graduate studies in business at Ohio State University. He was married in 1941 and was the father of two children. Both Mathews and his wife are deceased and are survived by sons Meredith Mathews, Jr., and Christopher Mathews.