Matthew Mitchell to be recognized as Honorary Callawegian

Photo courtesy Westminster College
Photo courtesy Westminster College

At the 119th Kingdom of Callaway Supper, Matthew Mitchell will be presented with the Honorary Callawegian Award.

The award is presented to someone who wasn't born in Callaway County but moved to the area and has made a big impact.

The first ever Honorary Callawegian Award was presented in 2023 to Rod Smith.

Mitchell was a prominent figure at Westminster College for many years.

He was inducted into Westminster's Hall of Fame in 2023.

According to the college's website, Mitchell first joined the school's athletic staff as men's head basketball coach and golf coach in 1998.

He relinquished his role as golf coach in 2005 and assumed additional responsibilities as director of athletics.

He was promoted to the senior director of athletic advancement in 2016.

Mitchell led the Westminster men's basketball team until 2022.

During his tenure as head coach, the team achieved three regular season conference titles and four conference tournament victories.

He also took the Blue Jays to the NCAA tournament four times.

While acting as head coach, 28 players were named to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) All-Conference Team and 43 were named to the SLIAC Academic All-Conference.

Mitchell was selected for the award by David Backer, the president of the 119th Kingdom Supper.

Mitchell was part of the reason why "thousands of students" came to Callaway County, Backer said.

"He wasn't born here, but he was a big supporter of Callaway County," he said.

Backer said he chose Mitchell for the award because of his contributions to the area.

"The main thing is just contribution to the community," Backer said. "He treated Callaway as home."