A distinguished World War II veteran and Mizzou alumnus is about to celebrate a major milestone: his 100th birthday.

In 1940, Edward Matheny Jr. came to Columbia from Kansas City and quickly became a prominent member of the campus community. Among many accomplishments, he was elected to the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society, selected to join the QEBH secret honor society, played on the basketball team, was editor of the Savitar and was active in fraternity life. Working on an accelerated course of study, he graduated in December 1943 with a degree in history and soon after joined the war effort.

He was an officer in the Navy and assigned to the staff of Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet. From headquarters at Pearl Harbor, he helped track the movement of thousands of vessels throughout the Pacific Ocean. He then transferred to the 5th Fleet under Adm. Raymond A. Spruance, where he served through the war’s end and beyond.

In 1949, Mr. Matheny graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and returned to Kansas City to join the firm now known as Husch Blackwell ­– eventually becoming a managing partner. He is a respected civic leader who established Kansas City’s first public television station, led the non-partisan Citizens’ Association to support good governance and served for 15 years as president and foundation chairman of Saint Luke’s Hospital. He is also a notable historian who has written a number of books about the city and its institutions. At MU, he’s a member of the Jefferson Club and a life member of the Mizzou Alumni Association.

Mr. Matheny provides a great example of our commitment to service and is an outstanding representative of the Tiger community. On behalf of all Mizzou, I want to wish Mr. Matheny a happy birthday and thank him for the many ways he’s given back to our campus and country.

— Mun