Matheny began teaching at Liberty University in 1978.
Former Liberty University professor Dr. William Edward Matheny, Ph.D., 88, passed away on Jan. 26 at his home in Lynchburg. Matheny taught religion at Liberty from 1978-85 and history courses from 1987-2011.
“Dr. Matheny was totally committed to the mission of Liberty University and the task of biblical worldview education,” said Roger Schultz, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “In addition to a Ph.D. in History, Dr. Matheny had a seminary degree and significant experience on the mission field. It was invaluable for students to see the depth of Christian experience and theological reflection in a working historian.”
Before Liberty, Matheny had a distinguished and honorable military career as an enlisted Marine and Korean War combat veteran and later as a Navy Lieutenant in the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He went on to serve as a missionary in Peru with his wife for 17 years.
He then came to Liberty in 1978 to teach in the School of Religion (now the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity). Matheny returned to South America in 1985 to teach at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Ecuador in Quito. In 1987, he returned to Liberty to teach in the history department and specialized in courses on Latin American history and modern Europe before retiring in 2011.
Matheny inspired countless students throughout his time of teaching at Liberty University as well as overseas in South America.
The passionate Christ follower not only left an impact on his family members but on his friends, co-workers, and students as well.
“When I came to Liberty University in 2004, Dr. Bill Matheny was (he thought) nearing retirement,” said Department of History chair and graduate program director Sam Smith. “Yet, he decided to teach a few more years — until 2011. I am deeply grateful he did. Getting to know this remarkable man (missionary and professor) was a most enriching experience for me. Dr. Matheny was an excellent and godly professor who engaged students to be Champions for Christ. He had a unique sense of humor coupled with a no-nonsense seriousness in teaching that endeared him to students and colleagues alike. He will be missed.”
“Bill was a true friend, mentor, and genuine colleague,” echoed fellow history professor David L. Snead. “I was blessed to have him as part of my life, and I will miss him greatly.”
Paul Jones (’81), a former student and current pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Billings, Mont., remembers his professor as “an authentic person.”
“He was very easy to connect with and was an incredible asset to Liberty,” he said. “He stayed true to the school’s mission of Training Champions for Christ. It was even due to his influence in my life that I ended up spending some time doing missions work in Africa.”
- Read Matheny’s obituary.
Matheny teaching in a classroom at Liberty in 1979.
