Roland Matthies '31 Receives Lt. Henry Addison Beckley Award

May 19, 2008

May 19, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. - Roland C. Matthies, a 1931 graduate of DePauw University, is the recipient of the 2008 Lt. Henry Addison Beckley Award. Presented by the Springfield, Ohio Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and the Miami Valley Military Affairs Association, the award recognizes those who "have distinguished themselves in the service of their community, state and nation. Special emphasis is placed on achievement in aviation, community service and in support of the military and military aviation."

The Springfield News-Sun reports, "Matthies, 98, was recognized for his role in helping to establish the U.S. Army Air Corps' 45th Civilian Training Attachment at then Wittenberg College during World War II. A graduate of DePauw University in 1931 with a commission as a second lieutenant in the Infantry Reserve, Matthies was blocked from active service when the war broke out because of asthma and hay fever. When he sought to serve the Army as an attorney or in intelligence, he was banned because his parents had been born in Germany."

Eventually, Matthies helped launch the cadet program at Wittenberg College. Tom Stafford writes, "The program that ran great guns for 16 months ended, but Matthies stayed on at Wittenberg, spending a total of 32 years working on fundraising, finance and philanthropy and retiring as vice president and treasurer."

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site. Learn more about the award by clicking here.

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