Committee Assignments:

  Agriculture and Natural Resources
  Banking and Insurance
  Education
  Ethics
  Finance
  Rules

Occupation: Businessman/Retired Elementary School Principal

Biography:MATTHEWS, John Wesley, Jr. [D]--(Dist. No. 39, Bamberg-Colleton-Dorchester-Hampton-Orangeburg Cos.)--Businessman/Retired Elementary School Principal; residing in Bowman, R-1; b. Apr. 21, 1940 in Bowman; s. the late John Wesley, Sr. and the late Victoria (Williams) Matthews; g. S.C. State Coll.; Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech. Coll., 1970-71; Lincoln Elec. Inst., Cleveland, Ohio, 1972; Hon. Ph.D., Coll. of Charleston; Hon. Ph.D., S.C. State Univ.; Feb. 5, 1961 m. Geraldine Hillard, 5 children, Cynthia John, Michael Andre, Stephanie Renata, John Wesley III, and Brian DeReef; mem.: Alpha Phi Alpha Frat.; former Chm., S.C. Legis. Black Caucus; Chm., Orangeburg Co. Legis. Delegation; Southern Regional Educ. Bd.; Gov.'s Middle Grades Task Force; Distinguished Alumni Award, S.C. State Univ.; Orangeburg Co. Dem. of the Year; Minority Bus. Advocate of the Year, U.S. Small Bus. Admin.; Induction in the S.C. Black Hall of Fame; S.C. Primary Health Care Legislator of the Year; mem.: Pineville United Methodist Church; prev. serv. in House 1975-84; Sen. 1985-07.

Biography current as of April 08, 2008