Former Rocky Mountain College football coach Frank Mathew was the recipient of the Ron "Swede" Kenison Memorial Award. The award was presented to members of his family from commissioner Kent Paulson at halftime of the Rocky-Carroll men's basketball game on First Interstate Bank Court at the Fortin Center in Billings this past Thursday evening..
"I didn't have the good fortune of meeting Mr. Mathew but certainly have heard and seen his name throughout Rocky Mountain College," Frontier Conference commissioner Kent Paulson said. "He certainly is most deserving of the Ron "Swede" Kenison Memorial Award whose tenets are: character, dedication, leadership, loyalty and service. We certainly all know that Frank exhibited all of these fine qualities throughout his tenure serving Rocky Mountain College and the Frontier Conference. As the league's commissioner, I want to congratulate all of the Mathew family and am pleased that they can be here to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the late, great Frank Mathew."
Mathew coached football at Rocky from 1949-1967, and still ranks as the Bears' all-time winningest coach with 49 wins, seven winning seasons and two Montana Collegiate Conference championships.
He was one of the inaugural inductees into Rocky's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990 -- and served as a coach in football, basketball and track, teacher and athletic director during the 33 years (1949-82) he spent at the school.
"Knowing both the Kenison family and the Mathew family, I can tell you that both men had many similar traits. Coach Mathew meant so much to the campus of Rocky Mountain College. This is a great way to honor his legacy," said RMC athletic director, Robert Beers. "We miss him a lot."
Mathew, a native of Carroll, Wyo., was a graduate of then Billings Polytechnic Institute, where he attended in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He lettered in four sports and played for the legendary Herb Klindt at BPI.
He later coached alongside Klindt in football and basketball at Rocky.
Mathew was also inducted into the school's Alumni Hall of Fame in 1982 and received a Distinguished Service Award from Rocky in 1984.
Mathew passed away in March of 2012 at the age of 92.