The U.S. Census Bureau has always been a home to veterans of the 

United States Armed Forces. The first superintendent of the census, 

William Augustus Weaver, appointed in 1840, received wounds as a 

combat veteran in the War of 1812. Francis Amasa Walker, the highly 

influential superintendent of the 1880 Census was a veteran of the Civil 

War and former prisoner of war. In 1890, census legislation made it clear 

that honorably discharged veterans of the armed services would receive 

preference for employment as enumerators—a practice that continues to 

this day and one that has been further strengthened and expanded 

through civil service reforms. In 2015, for instance, the Department of 

Commerce, to which the Census Bureau belongs, employed 5,684 

veterans (12 percent). Throughout the history of the Census Bureau, 

agency employees proudly served in America’s conflicts and the Korean 

War, from 1950 to 1953, was no exception.

During the Korean War, Census Bureau employee and Air Force reservist 

Wilbur “Will” J. Mathias received the call to return to active duty. Born on 

January 2, 1921, in Altoona, PA, Will’s father, Harry, managed a grocery. In 

the 1930s, the family moved to 

Dundalk, MD, and later to Baltimore, MD, where Will graduated 

from Strayer Business College. On July 8, 1940, Will started 

work at the Census Bureau, however, with the start of World 

War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the spring of 1942. 

After graduating from Selman Air Field Navigator’s Class in 

Monroe, LA, in the summer of 1943, he was deployed to 

Europe. As a navigator, Will participated in a 1,000-plane raid 

on Berlin on March 6, 1944. During the raid, his plane received 

damage and landed in neutral Sweden—where the crew 

became detainees for the remainder of the war. Following the end of the war, Will served as a 

drone pilot in the 1946 Bikini Atoll nuclear tests and guided these unmanned, remote control 

planes through the atomic clouds in order to observe the blast from the air. He is credited as the 

first person to navigate a drone over the Pacific Ocean.

In 1947, Will returned to his job at the Census Bureau, 

where he worked in the Governments Division. During 

this same year, he met fellow Census Bureau 

employee, Elizabeth “Bette” Christensen, who worked

in the Personnel Division. On August 30, 1948, Will 

and Bette married in Litchfield, MI. Bette continued 

working at the Census Bureau until 1950, when she 

and Will had the first of their seven children. 

Veterans and the U.S. Census Bureau

Captain Mathias with 

daughter Jeanne

The Honolulu Star Bulletin 

(Honolulu, HI) 9 Nov 1950

Mathias Family, 1930 Census

Will and Bette on their wedding day, 

30 August 1948

Catholic Standard (Washington, DC) 1 Oct 2008
In 1948, Will took part in the competitive 

Administrative Intern program. In 1949, Census 

Bureau Director Ross Eckler appointed him treasurer 

of the Census Bureau’s Welfare Fund. The Korean 

War began when the North Korean Army invaded 

South Korea on June 25, 1950. As part of the United 

States Air Force Reserves (AFRC), Will returned to 

active duty. From the fall of 1950 until the summer 

of 1952, he worked on flight crews ferrying men and 

equipment from Hawaii to Japan and transporting

desperately needed men and supplies to the 

battlefront.

Will returned to the Census Bureau in July 1952 as 

an assistant administrative officer in the Personnel 

Division. The same civil service reforms ensuring

veterans would receive preference in hiring also enabled veterans to return to previously held 

jobs. Upon his return, Will devoted himself to his duties—he earned multiple awards for 

receiving “Outstanding” ratings on his performance 

evaluations and in 1955, the director appointed Will to 

help run the awards program. He also served on the 

credit committee as a benefits collector and a tax 

assistant.

Will received multiple promotions. He was an assistant 

administrative officer in the Personnel Division, chief 

of the Operations Branch, an administrative officer for 

the Personnel Division, and finally, chief of the 

Management Control Branch in the Economic 

Operations Division. In 1963, Will moved to the 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where he 

worked in a variety of leadership roles, including

Branch Chief of Systems Analysis, Branch Chief of 

Publications and Graphics Systems, and Branch Chief 

of Management Information Systems. Throughout his professional career, Will remained a 

member of the AFRC, retiring in 1971 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after almost 30 years of 

service.

 

In 1973, Will retired from the FAA after 33 years of civil government 

employment. Will and Bette, whose relationship began at the Census 

Bureau, celebrated their 60th anniversary together in 2008. Will passed 

away on December 11, 2008. He dedicated his life to his country, not 

just in war, but also in peace. Will spent his career helping his fellow 

employees, and when duty called him to face danger he never shied 

away. The Census Bureau is proud to count

Lt Co Wilbur J. Mathias as one of our many veterans who have 

answered the call over the years.

Will (on the right) watches as one of his 

Personnel Division employees, Alexander 

Lucas, Jr., receives an award for a suggestion

Census Bulletin (Census Bureau Publication) Aug 1958

Will (on the left) watches one of his 

Personnel Division employees, Edna Pavol, 

receive an award for a suggestion

Census Bulletin (Census Bureau Publication) Aug 1958

Will and Bette at their 

60th Anniversary, 2008

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD) 

HB-17-0015