1996 Hall of Fame Inductee William L. Matthews Class of 1941

Dean Matthews was a Kentuckian by birth, a product of the state’s system of higher education, a devoted servant of the University of Kentucky and its College of Law, a distinguished teacher of law students for four decades, a man whose dedication to knowledge touched and influenced the lives of thousands of young people-

Dean Matthews taught at the College of Law from 1946 through 1984, serving as Dean of the College from 1951 to 1952 and from 1956 until 1971. He held the additional honor of Alumni Professor for the ten-year period 1974-1984.

The “Matthews Era” was a period of marked achievement for the College- a new law building, a highly qualified student body, an expanding library collection, and much more. During his 17 years as dean, he strived for institutional quality across the board, but expended his best efforts on what he knew counted the most- developing a faculty of diversity, exceptional quality, and unbending commitment.

Today, hundreds of UK Rosenberg Law alumni across the Commonwealth and the nation acknowledge W.L. Matthews as one of the very best professors in the law school's history and also as a truly good and kind man.

A link to a tribute to W.L. Matthews that was featured in the Kentucky Law Journal, Volume 73, Issue 4: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2055&context=klj