Donald Matheson

A Half Century of Giving

Don Matheson served the runners of Maine for 50 years as a dedicated track and cross country official and meet director. He was truly the granddaddy of track officials, working at high school and college meets from 1935 until shortly before` his death in September, 1984. He served as an official and meet director in the annual state collegiate track and cross country championships for 50 consecutive - years, an unmatched accomplishment of which Matheson rightfully took pride.

Born Sept. 16, 1907, Matheson was a fine football player while at Winslow High, and it is believed that he also ran track. He continued his education at Springfield College, and his first teaching assignment was in Fort Fairfield. He began officiat¬ing at cross country and track meets in 1935. He later taught and coached football at Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston and later at Rockland High. He finally returned to his native Winslow to teach around 1960. He was director of guidance there until his retirement in 1972.

Matheson was always at the cross country and track meets helping out with officiating, said LeRoy Blood, former principal at Winslow. Blood referred to Matheson as "a magnificent individual. He was so honest and sincere, always, and had to have everything just exactly right. I think that's why he was such a great track official." Matheson continued officiating year after year through the 1983-84 indoor track season at Colby where he had served as meet director for many years. And the only reason he finally stopped officiating was declining health. Matheson had a long bout with cancer and died in September, 1984 at age 77.

"Officiating is something I've stayed with," Matheson said just a year before his death. "Its an interest I've had over the years." The rewards, he said, are "working with and seeing the young people. I think it is a service, helping out, and its the personal satisfaction of working with people. But primarily its working with and serving the athletes of Maine." On the wall of his home at the edge of China Lake was a plaque given to him in 1982 by the Maine Secondary Schools Principals Association. It read: "In appreciation of many years of service to the secondary youth of Maine as a track official and state meet director." Gesturing at the plaque, Matheson said just four months before his death, "I was supposed to get that when I retired but I never did retire. Many of these officials are like myself - they've done it until they've had to give up."

No one has appreciated the time and effort Matheson gave to track and field more than veteran Colby track coach Jim Wescott. "He was one of those individuals, of which there are many in this wonderful state, who are the pillars of education and athletics that provide the structure for our youth to experience success, and grow in self confidence with which to mature and become future generations of givers to Maine," Wescott wrote in early 2000. "When I arrived in Waterville in June of 1978, to interview for the position of cross country and track and field coach at Colby, Dick McGee, Colby's then athletic director, introduced me to Don and his lovely wife Margaret. Don, a Springfield College graduate, and Margaret, a Colby graduate, were so positive about Colby and central Maine that I signed a contract and have greatly enjoyed my 22 years to date on MayFlower Hill. New to Maine collegiate track and field, Don quickly appraised me of the Sabasteanski, Slovenski, and Sryrna turf wars and what I might expect to encounter at my first State Meet coaches meeting. Don was right, they were wonderful leaders of young men who protected their teams' interests.

"For many years Don served as the coordinator of track and field officials for all of the indoor meets hosted on our Colby campus. I would simply give Don our schedule of home meets prior to the season and he made all the calls and assign¬ments for the meets that were always run on time."