Donald Ray Matthews

Donald Ray " Billy" Matthews ( born October 3, 1907 in Micanopy, Florida, † October 26, 1997 in Gainesville, Florida ) was an American politician. He represented the state of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Donald Matthews attended the public school in Hawthorne and graduated in 1929 from the University of Florida in Gainesville. In the summers of 1928-1938, he worked as an Assistant State 4-H Agent. Between 1929 and 1935 he taught at schools in Leesburg and Orlando. After that, he was rector of the High School in Newberry. This activity, he held only from 1935 to 1936. Furthermore, Matthews was a deputy in the 1935 House of Representatives from Florida. Subsequently, he was from 1936 to 1952 a member of the administrative staff of the University of Florida.

When the Second World War broke out, he enlisted in the United States Army. He served there from 1942 to 1946 and was retired as a captain ( Captain ) of the infantry. Matthews was elected as a Democrat in the 83rd and the six succeeding Congresses. His term lasted from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1967. Upon his candidacy for the 90th Congress in 1966, he was defeated in the primaries of his party Don Fuqua.

After his term in Congress, he was from 1967 to 1969 Adviser and Head of the District Community Development Service ( Rural Community Development Service ) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He then worked from 1969 to 1977 as a teacher of political science at Santa Fe Community College. Matthews lived until his death on October 26, 1997 in Gainesville. He was buried in Hawthorne.