Dr. William J. “Bill” Mathias

Bill attended schools in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wilmington, North Carolina. He was a member of the New Hanover High School varsity basketball team that won the State Championship in 1956.

Bill served in the United States Coast Guard and was stationed in Cape May, New Jersey, and New London, Connecticut. He served aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Unimak.

He earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. While at UGA, he was an Outstanding Intramural Athlete, served as Director of Traffic and Security, and was instrumental in starting the UGA Police Department. Following the 1961 federal court ruling that mandated desegregation, Bill protected one of the university’s first African American students amid protests and riots on her first night on campus. Bill later became Assistant Director of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice at UGA.

Bill went on to work at Georgia State University as a Professor of Criminal Justice and was later recruited to the University of South Carolina, where he and Dr. Ellis MacDougall designed the criminal justice program. He co-authored multiple publications, including Horse to Helicopter: The First One Hundred Years of the Atlanta Police Department. He became the founding Dean of the College of Criminal Justice, serving from 1975 until his retirement in 2002. As Dean, he and colleague Dr. James Fraser developed advanced education and training programs for law enforcement personnel across the state, nation, and abroad.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth F. Mathias, MD; his daughter, Paige P. Mathias; and his son and daughter-in-law, William “Trey” Mathias III and Lyndsey.

Bill was unfailingly patient and kind. He loved his family deeply, and always supported his wife’s adventures and endeavors. He was immensely proud of his children. He always attended their activities and supported their academic, work, and life aspirations. His sage wisdom, advice, and love will be missed beyond measure.

Services will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home.