Sikeston Author and Businessman Honored with 2006 Governor's Humanities Book Award

Edward C. "Ned" Matthews, III, was recently honored with the 2006 Governor’s Humanities Book Award, conferred by the Missouri Humanities Council. This award recognizes an individual whose book or publication has increased our understanding and appreciation of Missouri's history and culture.

The award ceremony took place at the Missouri Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Matthews is the author of Matthews: The Historic Adventures of a Pioneer Family, the biography of the Matthews family in Southeast Missouri. This book brings to life the individuals whose ambitions and perseverance made an indelible mark on the region. Spanning more than two hundred years and eight generations, the story of the Matthews family is an account of the birth of a nation, the settlement of the Louisiana Territory, and the subsequent growth and development of Southeast Missouri. Described in detail are events from the lives of family members which capture their personalities, public achievements, as well as their private tragedies.

At the heart of the story is C.D. Matthews. Born a poor farm boy in the 1840s, he risked his life supplying corn and wheat to the South during the Civil War and went on to amass a fortune in banking, lumber, railroads, and land. As his holdings and his family grew, so did the region and nation around him, all part of the same expanding story—the good times and bad, the wild days, the tame, and the unforeseen.


Edward Matthews III

Edward C. “Ned” Matthews has been involved in his family’s businesses throughout his adult life. He has served as vice president of the Bank of Sikeston; president of the Bank of Sikeston Holding Company; director of the Bank of Sikeston and AmeriFirst Bancorporation, Inc., Bucoda Gin Company, Scott County Milling Company, and Semo Grain Company. Matthews currently serves as general partner of the E.C. Matthews Limited Partnership, director of the Matthews Cotton Company, and agent for the Matthews Mineral Account. He continues to live in Sikeston, located in Southeast Missouri—the Matthews family’s homegrounds for more than two centuries.

Since 1971, the Missouri Humanities Council has provided thousands of programs to help Missourians enjoy a rich cultural life and develop community citizenship. Our mission is to enable families and communities to broaden their appreciation of history, literature, and the ideas that shape our democracy. Our programs include: READ from the START, family reading initiative; Chautauqua, community celebration of history: Charettes, consulting for local museums & cultural institutions; Museum on Main Street rural initiative of the Smithsonian Institution; as well as Grants and Initiatives to fund locally generated programs.

To learn more about the Governor’s Humanities Awards, this year’s other honorees, or to nominate someone for the 2007 Community Heritage, Excellence in Secondary Education, or Book Award, please visit our website, mohumanities.org/programs/awards/gaward06.htm

MHC is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Federal agency.