Congratulations to our own, Dr. Vincent Matthews, on being inducted to the SFSU Hall of Fame
For the past 29 years, San Francisco State University has recognized alumni for their varied contributions to their communities, whether it’s through art, medicine or technology. This year’s Alumni Hall of Fame inductees have made an indelible imprint on the Bay Area and beyond in the world of banking, education, skateboarding, art, music and film. San Francisco State President Lynn Mahoney and the University community are proud to honor the four newest inductees at a celebration and dinner Friday, Nov. 3, at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.
Vincent Matthews
B.A., ’86; M.A., ’90; Ed.D., ’10
Dr. Vincent Matthews has been an educator for more than 30 years, eventually leading the same school district he attended from kindergarten through 12th grade. The San Francisco native was the San Francisco Unified School District superintendent from 2017 to 2022. After high school, he attended SF State, earning a bachelor of arts, a master of arts in Educational Administration and eventually a doctorate in Education. He was part of the inaugural cohort in the University’s Educational Leadership program.
Matthews began his teaching career at Washington Carver Elementary School in San Francisco and later served as an elementary school principal, a high school assistant principal and a middle school principal. He then led the San Jose Unified School District as superintendent for five and a half years, raising academic achievement, narrowing the achievement gap between Latino and white students and passing landmark agreements with the San Jose teacher’s union. He then served as a state-appointed superintendent for Oakland Unified before he was the state-appointed superintendent of the Inglewood Unified School District.
In 2020, Matthews returned to the classroom at his alma mater SF State. He started as an adjunct faculty member in the Equity, Leadership and Instructional Technologies program and is now an assistant professor.