For Matt Lyon, coming to UC Berkeley was a lot like coming home.

The son of an American Studies professor, Lyon grew up on college campuses in the East. But much of his career had pulled him away from academe, as he became immersed in journalism, politics, and strategic communications.

He came to UC Berkeley in January 1999 to lead the Office of Public Affairs, overseeing media and government relations, university print and online communications, and programs for parents and visitors. His career experiences, his deep appreciation for what he called "the life of the mind," his keen aesthetic sense, and his collaborative spirit made him the perfect match for the job and endeared him to many in the campus community.

At Berkeley he rejoined Chancellor Robert Berdahl — at Berdahl’s previous post, president of the University of Texas at Austin, Lyon was his speechwriter and later a key figure in that campus's public affairs. When Lyon died in February 2002 at the age of 45, Berdahl said, "I will miss one of the best friends I ever had."

In his first weeks at UC Berkeley, Lyon expressed his enthusiasm for the institution and its contributions. "I want to make sure that we are communicating intensely with the campus constituencies so that we can reflect our best moments, deepest concerns and greatest achievements," he said. "We have the potential to enthrall and inspire the rest of the world."

A communicator, strategic and artistic
Born on May 21, 1956, in Willimantic, Conn., Lyon grew up on a series of college campuses. When he was 12, the family moved to Amherst, Mass., where his father and the father of his future wife, New York Times reporter Katie Hafner, were among the first faculty of Hampshire College. Lyon graduated from that college in 1980 with an undergraduate degree in American Studies.

A talented writer, he became a stringer for the New York Times and then, in the early 1980s, associate editor of the Texas Observer.

His career next turned to politics, one of his passions. Lyon went to work for Texas state senator Lloyd Doggett (later a congressman), then became chief speechwriter and deputy press secretary to then-Texas governor Mark W. White. In 1987, he signed on as national issues director for U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt, who was running for president.

In 1993 Lyon met Berdahl and shortly after joined him at UT Austin, working together until Berdahl became chancellor at UC Berkeley in 1997. Lyon moved to the Bay Area as well, working in San Francisco as a senior vice president for Austin-based Public Strategies, Inc., before joining Berdahl’s administration at UC Berkeley in 1999.

At UC Berkeley, Lyon set out to define and communicate the goals of a diverse campus in a strategic way. "Matt transformed public affairs at Berkeley, intent on making it the best in its field," said Berdahl. "He set exacting standards for himself and generously shared his energies and expertise with his colleagues."

Talents of a Renaissance man
Amid the demands of his job, Lyon continued to pursue his other passions — photography, art, architecture, and, above all, relishing the childhood of his young daughter, Zoe. He took pride in overseeing the annual competition at UC Berkeley for the Dorothea Lange Fellowship in documentary photography.

He also continued to write, and his speechwriting reflected a sensibility that came from his love of poetry, particularly the works of James Merrill, Wendell Berry, and Wallace Stevens. At the time of his death, Lyon was writing a book about strategic communications for Harvard Business School Press. Previously, he had co-authored with his wife a best-selling history of the Internet, Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet.

Lyon also loved sports, particularly tennis and basketball. While his father was a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, young Lyon learned to shoot baskets from legendary Tarheels coach Dean Smith. He was an avid fan of UC Berkeley’s men’s basketball team — he had accompanied the team to an away game in Seattle on Feb. 16, 2002, when he collapsed while working out with his friend, Cal Coach Ben Braun, and died.

"Several of his friends have called him a ‘Renaissance man’ because of his talents as a writer, political analyst, architect, and photographer," said Chancellor Berdahl in his eulogy at a campus memorial for Lyon. "And indeed he was. But for me what always stood out about Matt was his commitment to social justice, his fundamental goodness, and his unassailable integrity." Those qualities leave a legacy that his friends and colleagues strive to carry forth.