Dennis Mathisen ’66, Lawyer, Banker, and Entrepreneur, Dies at 80

Dennis “Matt” Mathisen ’66, who found success in law, banking, and real estate development and was known for his active lifestyle and wide array of philanthropic interests, passed away July 22 at his home in Vail, Colorado. He was 80 and had lived for 18 years with a rare lymphoma, after being given a life expectancy of five years at his original diagnosis.

A native of Minneapolis, Mathisen earned both his undergraduate and J.D. degrees at the University of Minnesota. After several years in corporate law at Lindquist & Vennum in Minneapolis, he moved into mergers and acquisitions strategy work, then segued into banking and finance and, ultimately, real estate development. Meanwhile, he found the time and focus to excel at skiing, sailing, scuba diving, road biking, golf, tennis, art collecting, and numerous other pursuits.

Mathisen received many awards and accolades during his career, but he was proudest of being honored with a 2011 Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation for his work in human rights. (Other recipients of the award have included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bono, Congressman John Lewis, and President Barack Obama). Mathisen was a generous supporter of the Law School as well, both financially and with his time; he served on MN Law’s Board of Visitors in the early 2000s, and more recently he was a member of the steering committee for the Driven fundraising campaign. He also served such nonprofit organizations as the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Humanities Commission, and the Mayo Clinic Leadership Council, among others.

A virtual memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.