Honoring the memory of a life-altering mentor
In memory of his mentor at the Warrington College of Business, Dr. Stewart Brown funded a professorship in Dr. Charles Arnold Matthews' name.
Some things are clearer in hindsight, but fifty years after graduating from the University of Florida with his doctorate in finance, Dr. Stewart Brown is still mystified by how he got to where he is today.
When Brown enrolled at the University of Florida in 1968 as a 25-year-old veteran of the United States Navy, it felt like a second chance. Motivated to complete both his bachelor’s degree and an MBA degree from the Warrington College of Business, he survived on a monthly budget of $175 until he graduated, scrounged from part-time jobs, military benefits and student loans.
One person made a significant impact on Brown during his time in the MBA program: Dr. Charles Arnold Matthews. Matthews was known for teaching the toughest course for finance majors, but thanks to time spent learning from and living as roommates with John Stewart, another finance professor at Warrington, Brown was prepared for anything Matthews threw his way. He answered Matthews’ single-question final exam with a thorough explanation of countercyclical monetary policy and exchange material equations, gaining Matthews’ attention.
That exam led to discussions of graduate school, and Matthews ensured Brown’s application to Warrington’s doctoral program was accepted. Fifty years later, Brown identifies Matthews as a hero and mentor, and has funded a professorship in his name.
“I am grateful to the university and the [Warrington] College of Business and the people who helped me along the way,” Brown says. “My overarching goal is to honor the memory of Dr. C. A. Matthews, who had a profound impact on my life.”
Currently, Brown is Emeritus Professor of Finance at Florida State University, where he has taught for 30 years. Despite having dedicated most of his career to a rival school, Brown says his loyalties never switched; when the Gators are playing, he’ll be doing the Chomp alongside his fellow Business Gator alumni.