Art Matsu
Arthur "Art" Matsu was born on April 30th, 1904 in Glasgow, Scotland to a Japanese father and Scottish mother. His family moved to Canada then Cleveland, Ohio during his youth. Throughout his adolescence, Art shows exceptional talent as an athlete. He was featured in a national article in July of 1917, highlighting his achievements in various sports, including baseball, football, track and field, and basketball. He became a multi-sport athlete in high school, and was recruited as an athlete by Princeton University and William & Mary. His choice to attend William & Mary made him the first Asian-American student to attend the college in 1923.
OCR- Bismarck Tribune 1917, Take Your Hats to this Japanese Boy.pdfSports Prodigy
By 13, Art Matsu was recognized nationally as a sports prodigy, with remarkable achievements in baseball, football, basketball, tennis, and track and field among others. A 1917 Bismarck Tribune article compared Art Matsu to Jim Thorpe and Howard Berry, two other multi-sport legends. According to his daughter, Nancy Matsu Hulse, Art Matsu saw that “being good at sports gave him respect,” a counter to the prejudice he likely faced in daily life.
Best Fancy Diver in the Country
Art's athletic excellence continued at East High School in Cleveland. In addition to being a football star, Art played basketball, baseball, and held several Cleveland junior records as a sprinter. In 1923, Art Matsu won the national high school championship in diving. His dominance across sports garnered the attention of collegiate athletic departments, with William & Mary and Princeton's coaches attempting to recruit Art to their programs.
W&M Football Star
Art began as a quarterback immediately, becoming the first athlete of color at William & Mary. He garnered national acclaim during his time playing football. Articles often placed his achievements within the context of his racial identity. Sportswriters called him a "triple-threat man," acclaiming his athletic abilities in addition to the novelty of having a Japanese player. His teammates elected him captain of the team for the 1926 season, making him the first Asian-American captain of an American college football team. In addition to football, he competed in basketball, baseball, and track.
"the Japanese makes up in brains and speed what he lacks in poundage."
The Evening Independent, 1926
More Than an Athlete
In addition to his athletic achievements, Art was heavily involved with the William & Mary community. He was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a college leadership fraternity, and Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity. He was also freshman class secretary, a member of the sophomore tribunal, and a member of the senior council throughout his time there. He graduated in 1927 with a degree in Business Administration and Economics.
Life after Graduation
After becoming the first Japanese-American to play in the NFL for the Daytona Triangles, Art coached at Asheville High School (NC), and Benedictine High School (Richmond, VA), before joining the staff at Rutgers University as an assistant coach where we would coach for 20 years.
OCR- Matsu Correspondence.pdfJapanese Incarceration Era in the East Coast
During Art's time at Rutgers, the United States entered World War II after the Pearl Harbor attacks in December 1941. A 1943 letter from Art to Dr. Robert C. Clothier details his strong desire to enlist in the U.S. Military despite lacking U.S. citizenship due to the Naturalization Act of 1790. He cites his strong conduct and dedication to America throughout his 38 years in the States and previous waivers granted to Italian and Japanese aliens by the government allowing them to serve. Art attempted to petition Senator Warren Barbour, who introduced a bill to the Senate on Art and Dr. Clothier's behalf.
His (Asian) American Story
As a biracial person in Virginia when anti-miscegenation laws were still in place, Art Matsu's story provides us with a glimpse of what the racial and social climate was for Asian Americans during a time when our history classes showed as a starkly Black and White society.
Art Matsu’s legacy at William & Mary was commemorated and honored with the naming of the Arthur A. Matsu Arcade at Zable Stadium, and the unveiling of a state historical marker during the Asian Centennial at W&M. This marker was made possible by Cumberland Middle School students. You can read more about that story here.