From 1987 to 1991, Jon Ballis, ‘91, and Richard Matthews, a former Lehigh professor of political science, could often be seen playing basketball during lunch breaks with other faculty members at Taylor Gym.
More than 30 years later, Ballis returned to campus last week to celebrate the impact Matthews had on his life and career.
At a scholarship event held in Maginnes Hall on Wednesday, Ballis announced the creation of a $2,500 annual scholarship in honor of Matthews, which will be awarded to one senior who is a political science major per year planning to pursue graduate school or law school.
The scholarship, named the Professor Richard K. Matthews Scholarship Award, is endowed by Ballis and his wife, Susan Ballis. The scholarship will be awarded to a student for the first time this spring.
Ballis, who went on to earn his law degree from Harvard University in 1994 after graduating from Lehigh, currently serves as chair of the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP. According to the law firm’s website, he joined as a partner in 2005 and was named as chairman in 2020.
He said Matthews and the Lehigh community played a crucial role in his academic and professional path.
Ballis first visited Lehigh during his senior year of high school to see a friend. Though he hadn’t applied and was planning to attend the University of Michigan, he said Joe Sterett, the former athletic director and vice president of admissions, ultimately encouraged him to fill out a Lehigh application right in his office.
While reflecting on his experience, Ballis said he feels incredibly fortunate to have ended up at Lehigh and is grateful his parents supported his decision to attend a university that has given him so much.
“I am 1,000% convinced I would not have been admitted (to Harvard Law School) unless the full Lehigh community got behind me and really pushed for it,” Ballis said.
Matthews, who stopped teaching in spring 2024 and is set to formally retire on July 1, wrote Ballis’ letter of recommendation to Harvard. Ballis said he largely attributes his acceptance to the letter.
“When all of us write letters, you have to think of something different,” Matthews said. “For whatever reason, I remember writing about how I hooped with Jon.”
In his speech at the event, Matthews said despite Ballis being more athletic than the professors and having the ability to score much more heavily against them, he always ensured each of his teammates got the ball.
Ballis said Matthews and his Lehigh experience taught him to see things from other people’s perspectives and the importance of relationships.
“In some ways, I think I live a crazy life now, and I’m not sure I’d wish it on anyone, but I think I live an incredibly privileged life,” he said. “I don’t mean financially, but the things I get to do in my job are quite interesting, fascinating and exhilarating. I mean it when I say this place has set me on that path. This place got me into Harvard Law School.”
Madelyn Bavaro, ‘26, a political science major with minors in global studies and English, attended the event. She said she had Matthews as a professor each semester she’s been at Lehigh before he stopped teaching, and she also served as a teaching assistant for him.
Bavaro said Matthews was one of her favorite professors.
“I also believe that he was the core of the political science department,” she said. “His ability to use the Socratic method completely altered my trajectory as a student.”
It was Matthews’ use of the Socratic method in the spring of 1988 during an introduction to political philosophy course that also attracted Ballis to his teaching methods.
Matthews described the Socratic method he experienced when he was an undergraduate at Muhlenberg College as “soft and fuzzy.”
In graduate school, Matthews said he experienced a more intense version of the Socratic method that he brought into his classroom. He said his goal throughout his career was to keep class discussions engaging for both himself and his students.
“Even though the students think we’re in control, we’re not,” Matthews said. “They are.”
He said he’s grateful the scholarship will benefit another Lehigh student on their way to law school or graduate school. At this time, a beneficiary has not been declared for the 2024-25 academic year.
“This is almost beyond a dream that someone would do this for me, and it makes me enormously proud,” Matthews said.
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