Williamsburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Arthur Azo Matsu

(1904-1987)

June 17, 2022

1. Arthur Azo Matsu Marker

Inscription. Art Matsu, renowned football player, was the first Asian American student to graduate from William & Mary. A four-year starter at quarterback (1923–1926), he earned a national reputation while guiding William & Mary’s powerful offense. As team captain during his senior year, he led the program to its first postseason win. The son of a Scottish mother and a Japanese father, Matsu was a prominent leader on campus even as Virginia passed a series of laws in the 1920s to prevent “race mixing.” In 1928, he became the first player of Japanese descent in the National Football League. From 1931 until the mid-1950s, he taught physical education and coached football at Rutgers University.

Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-114.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Sports • War, World II.

Location. 37° 16.43′ N, 76° 42.857′ W. Marker is in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is on Stadium Drive west of Richmond Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area:

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Williamsburg VA 23186, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: First Balloon Flight in Virginia (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The First Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named First Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); MLK Triangle (approx. ¼ mile away); College Camp (approx. 0.3 miles away); Bicentennial Washington (approx. 0.3 miles away); Alumni of the College of William and Mary (approx. 0.4 miles away); Priorities of the College of William and Mary

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(approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Williamsburg.

Regarding Arthur Azo Matsu. The Historical Marker topic was selected as one of the 5 winning submissions of the 2021 AAPI Heritage Month Historical Roadside Marker Competition by Cumberland Middle School. It was unveiled on April 30, 2022 (https://www.farmvilleherald.com/2022/05/historic-marker-dedicated/).

Credits. This page was last revised on March 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2023. This page has been viewed 620 times since then and 35 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on December 22, 2023. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.