University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in Washington County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Wilson Matthews

— Arkansas Difference Makers —

Photographed by Marc Hayot, July 12, 2026

1. Wilson Matthews Marker

Inscription. Legendary high school football coach Wilson Matthews was indispensable to the Razorbacks as an assistant coach in building a highly successful football program. Later, as an administrator, he was instrumental in establishing and developing the support program for all Razorback sports.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is November 8, 1957.

Location. 36° 4.155′ N, 94° 10.784′ W. Marker is in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in Washington County. It is in University of Arkansas. It can be reached from Road 300, on the right. The marker is located with the Arkansas Difference Makers markers at the north entrance (near gate 10) of Donald W. Reynolds Stadium on the grounds of the University of Arkansas. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 350 N Razorback Road, Fayetteville AR 72701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Arkansas,

on the Ozark Plateau,

in the Cherokee Heritage Region,

and in Osage Territory.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and

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in the Ozarks.

Globally, it is in 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,

the Louisiana Purchase,

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: Orville Henry (here, next to this marker); Dr. Frank Oldham Jr. (here, next to this marker); Jackson T. Stephens (here, next to this marker); Jon Richardson (a few steps from this marker); George and Boyce Billingsley (a few steps from this marker); Donald W. Reynolds (a few steps from this marker); The Jim Lindsey - Jim Williams Entry (a few steps from this marker); Ruth Cohoon (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fayetteville.

Regarding Wilson Matthews. This marker is one of several markers umbrellaed under the "Arkansas Difference Makers," a list of people who made significant contributions to the University of Arkansas sports program.

Also see . . .
1. Wilson David Matthews (1921–2002).

Wilson Matthews Marker Location image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Marc Hayot, July 12, 2026

2. Wilson Matthews Marker Location

This article on Wilson Matthews is from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. This article was last updated on June 16, 2023.

Wilson Matthews was a legendary Arkansas high school and university football coach and administrator. In his eleven years as head coach at Little Rock High School (later renamed Little Rock Central High School) in Little Rock (Pulaski County), his teams won ten state championships. He later joined the staff of coach Frank Broyles at the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County). As assistant coach there, he participated in the successful Razorback football program and later moved to administrative duties in the athletic department. He served at UA for over forty years, retiring as associate athletic director.

(Submitted on July 18, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.)

2. Thanksgiving Day 1957 – final Tigers vs. Wildcats holiday gridiron meeting. The Little Rock Vulture ran this story on Nov. 28, 2019 highlighting the Little Rock Tigers' win over the North Little Rock Wildcats and being named the No.1 team in the nation.

After 24 meetings on Thanksgiving Day, Little Rock
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had 19 wins, 4 losses, and one tie. Seven times they shut out the Wildcats, and one time the northern team blanked them. The fewest total points scored were 2 in the 1934 game, while the 1950 game produced a cumulative total of 71 points (LR 64, NLR 7). The Tigers scored a total of 517 points over 24 games and gave up only 203.

(Submitted on July 18, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.)

3. Final Tigers' tales - LR Central teams of the '50s set last reunion. This is an article detailing the last reunion of the 1957 Little Rock Tigers. The article ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Aug. 11, 2017

Little Rock Central High School's 1957 football team is recognized as not only one of the all-time best teams in the state, but also in the nation. But Saturday's reunion will be the last formal get-together for a team that won in a year full of chaos.

(Submitted on July 18, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.