William H. Mathews was born in Vancouver in 1919 and attended UBC from 1935 to 1941 obtaining a Bachelor of Applied Science in geological engineering. This degree was followed up by a Master of Applied Science at UBC with a major in petrology and a minor in physics. Mathews received many awards during his studies which include: the G.M. Dawson scholarship in 1939; the Walter Moberly book prize in 1940; and the B.C. Academy of Science research grant in 1941. His experience in the field includes working as a student assistant for the Geological Survey of Canada (1938-1941) and the B.C. Department of Mines as an Associate Mining Engineer (1942-1946). Mathews then taught and completed a PhD at the University of California in 1948 which focused on volcanism and glacial history in an area of southwestern B.C. Here, he was also awarded the Class of 1883 Fellowship before returning again to the B.C. Department of Mines. Mathews joined the Geology department at UBC in 1951 and headed the department from 1964 -1971. Mathews continued teaching and researching at UBC until he retired in 1984 and became a Professor Emeritus. Throughout his lifetime, Mathews was actively involved as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Geological Society of America; a member of the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Association of Canada, the British Glaciological Society, the Arctic Institute of North America, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, the Alpine Club of Canada, and the Natural History Society of British Columbia. Mathews passed away in 2003 and will be remembered for his work as a geologist, professional engineer, and as a scholar.
From the description of W.H. Mathews fonds. 1932-1995. (University of British Columbia Library). WorldCat record id: 607092523
