Gareth Matthews (July 8, 1929 – April 17, 2011) was a renowned American philosopher who specialized in ancient philosophy, and the philosophy of children.

Biography

Gareth Matthews was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 8, 1929. He grew up near Memphis, Tennessee. As a Boy Scout, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Matthews moved with his family to Franklin, Indiana, in 1945. He was valedictorian of the Class of 1947, at Franklin High School. He went on to earn his B.A. at Franklin College (Indiana), where his father was a professor. Matthews began his graduate work at Harvard University, where he earned an M.A. in 1952. He spent a year as a Rotary Fellow at the Free University of Berlin.

Matthews served as an Intelligence officer in the United States Navy, during the Cold War. He was assigned to the Naval Security Group, and the National Security Agency. He later served in the reserves, and retired as a Lieutenant.

Matthews earned his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1961. His teaching appointments have been at the University of Virginia (1960–61), the University of Minnesota (1961–69), and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1969–2005).