James Lester Matthews

I would like to share a story about Dr Matthews:

I was told many times when I was young that my mother was once very weight conscious. She was 108 lbs back at the end of 1979, but noticed in the beginning of 1980 she was gaining weight and took diet pills. Shortly after, she found out she was pregnant. She went to multiple doctors who refused to take on the pregnancy because they said the diet pills had caused complications. Her baby was doomed to have mental and physical...

Dr. Matthews was a mentor to me and a personal friend. As a graduate student at the Baylor Institute of Metabolic Disease, I would often have long conversations about the latest scientific puzzle or curiosity. Despite his high position of authority, he was always glad to see me and happy to spend time talking. He was a true intellectual and scientist. He was my friend and he will be deeply missed.

We at Baylor are blessed with the knowledge that Dr. Matthews shared with the medical staff.This allows for excellent care, treatment and a more positive outcome caring for our patients. I thank his family for sharing him with us.

I am convinced that everyone who ever met Dr. Matthews will remember him forever as a wonderful person. I certainly will!

Grandad, i love you so much. When i found out that you passed away i didn't know what to think. At first i started bursted out crying, then i tried to think of the positives: It was your time to go, you accomplished so many things and inspired so many people, you had 3 beautiful children one being my mother, and 6 grandchildren, and a loving wife who was there with you to the end. When i first saw you sick it was hard to look at you, because you were in so much pain and i thought i would...

I would like to share with you my memory about Dr. Matthews.

Dr. Matthews had 21 PhD students in his life, and I’m the last on the list. He used to tell his colleagues and visitors that he would not have another PhD student after me because “this one is really a trouble maker”. I took that as a very true compliment I’ve ever had in my life.

Dr. Matthews’ training was really a training of being an independent thinker, because he himself was one. He used to have a cartoon on his...

I will always fondly remember Dr. Matthews who, not only was one of the most intelligent and articulate professors, but also truly liked and respected his students at Baylor College of Dentistry.

Please accept my deepest sympathies.

James A. Barton, D.D.S. class of '69.

My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.