Career
Born in Reston, Manitoba, he was a merchant by career. He was first elected at the Nanaimo riding in the 1958 general election, after an unsuccessful attempt there in the 1957 election. He served one term, the 24th Canadian Parliament, before the riding was renamed Nanaimo—Cowichan—The Islands.
Matthews was defeated in the 1962 election by Colin Cameron and again in 1963 and Canadian federal election, 1965.