Donald Ray Matthews

Who was Donald Ray Matthews?

Donald Ray "Billy" Matthews was a U.S. Representative from Florida.

Born in Micanopy, Florida, Matthews attended the public schools of Hawthorne, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida at Gainesville in 1929. He taught school in Leesburg, Florida, and in Orlando, Florida from 1929 to 1935. He served as a high school principal in Newberry, Florida in 1935 and 1936. He served as a member of the State house of representatives in 1935. He served as a member of the administrative staff of the University of Florida from 1936 to 1952. He served in the United States Army 1942–1946 and was discharged as a captain of Infantry. He served as assistant State 4-H agent in the summers of 1928–1938.

Matthews was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-third and to the six succeeding Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninetieth Congress in 1966, defeated in the Democratic primary by Don Fuqua. In his post-congressional years, Matthews worked as a consultant and administrator for the Rural Community Development Service of the United States Department of Agriculture from 1967 to 1969; and was an instructor of political science at Santa Fe Community College from 1969 to 1977. He was a resident of Gainesville, Florida until his death at the age of 90. He was interred at Hawthorne Cemetery.