“Everyone wants to achieve something…and we don’t always recognize that.”
-J. Warren Matson
J. Warren Matson (1905-1983), a distinguished community leader, dedicated his life to working with at-risk kids and families in Pittsburgh’s housing projects.
After earning an engineering degree and then a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Matson began helping unemployed men and women apply for government programs in the 1940s. He eventually became Tenant Selection Supervisor for the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), a post he held for over 20 years.
Mr. Matson helped launch several community organizations, including Hill Opportunity Progress and Education (HOPE)—a group that addressed housing issues in Pittsburgh's Hill District—and the Action Coalition of Elders, which supported Pittsburgh’s seniors.
His daughter, Suzie Brandt, established the J. Warren Matson Fund in 1987. Today the fund honors Mr. Matson’s passion for serving his community by helping to create affordable housing for Pittsburgh’s low-income children and families.