John A. Matzko
Encyclopedia
John Austin Matzko is a historian, published author and Chairman of the Division of Social Science at Bob Jones University
. Matzko specializes in the areas of historical research and writing, historiography, and American legal history. Matzko has been a member of the Organization of American Historians
since the early 1980s.
, Matzko’s ancestors came to the United States from Eastern Europe. His father served in the military during World War II. The first of his family to pursue higher education, Matzko completed his undergraduate work at Bob Jones University, graduating in 1968 with a BA in History.
He went on to obtain a Master’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati
and a PhD from the University of Virginia
. In 1969, he was drafted into the army and had the honor of performing duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
at Arlington National Cemetery
.
Matzko is the director of the Bob Jones University Scholastic Bowl competitions, drawing from a pool of almost 800 questions that are used to challenge students during the Scholastic Bowl’s 5-year rotation. Matzko notes, “I tell the students that this is entertainment,” and that they should not be afraid to make mistakes. He is also a supporter of the Bob Jones University Art Gallery.
He has been involved with providing support for several U.S. historic sites: Ash Lawn-Highland
(Home of James Monroe
), Arlington House: The Robert E. Lee Memorial
(Arlington, VA), Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
(Located on the North Dakota/Montana border), and Homestead National Monument, located in Beatrice, NE.
Matzko has published on a range of topics including the reconstruction of Fort Union
, the history of the American Bar Association, the history of Bob Jones University and an article on the founder of Mormonism
, Joseph Smith, Jr..
Matzko married Rachel Grace Smith (1943–2009), an English teacher, and they had one son. He is a member of Faith Free Presbyterian Church
in Greenville, South Carolina. An amateur musician, Matzko plays the violin, viola, and recorder, and he sings in the Bob Jones University Faculty Men’s chorus.
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
. Matzko specializes in the areas of historical research and writing, historiography, and American legal history. Matzko has been a member of the Organization of American Historians
Organization of American Historians
The Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
since the early 1980s.
Biography
Born in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Matzko’s ancestors came to the United States from Eastern Europe. His father served in the military during World War II. The first of his family to pursue higher education, Matzko completed his undergraduate work at Bob Jones University, graduating in 1968 with a BA in History.
He went on to obtain a Master’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
and a PhD from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. In 1969, he was drafted into the army and had the honor of performing duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Matzko is the director of the Bob Jones University Scholastic Bowl competitions, drawing from a pool of almost 800 questions that are used to challenge students during the Scholastic Bowl’s 5-year rotation. Matzko notes, “I tell the students that this is entertainment,” and that they should not be afraid to make mistakes. He is also a supporter of the Bob Jones University Art Gallery.
He has been involved with providing support for several U.S. historic sites: Ash Lawn-Highland
Ash Lawn-Highland
Ash Lawn–Highland, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, and adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, was the estate of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. Purchased in 1793, Monroe and his family permanently settled on the property in 1799 and lived at Ash Lawn–Highland...
(Home of James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
), Arlington House: The Robert E. Lee Memorial
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion, is a Greek revival style mansion located in Arlington, Virginia, USA that was once the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It overlooks the Potomac River, directly across from the National Mall in Washington,...
(Arlington, VA), Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is the site of a partially reconstructed trading post on the Missouri River and the North Dakota/Montana border twenty-five miles from Williston. It is one of the earliest declared National Historic Landmarks of the United States...
(Located on the North Dakota/Montana border), and Homestead National Monument, located in Beatrice, NE.
Matzko has published on a range of topics including the reconstruction of Fort Union
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is the site of a partially reconstructed trading post on the Missouri River and the North Dakota/Montana border twenty-five miles from Williston. It is one of the earliest declared National Historic Landmarks of the United States...
, the history of the American Bar Association, the history of Bob Jones University and an article on the founder of Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, Joseph Smith, Jr..
Matzko married Rachel Grace Smith (1943–2009), an English teacher, and they had one son. He is a member of Faith Free Presbyterian Church
Free Presbyterian Church of North America
The Free Presbyterian Church of North America or FPCNA is a Presbyterian denomination in the United States and Canada with mission works in Liberia, Jamaica, and Kenya...
in Greenville, South Carolina. An amateur musician, Matzko plays the violin, viola, and recorder, and he sings in the Bob Jones University Faculty Men’s chorus.