Matthew Stark (January 27, 1930 – April 10, 2018) was a noted civil rights activist in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lee County, Florida. Stark was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Ohio University in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1959 with a master's degree in Educational Psychology. Stark received his Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Counseling in June, 1963 from Case Western Reserve University. He was Dean of Students at Moorhead State University 1962-63. He was assistant professor and coordinator of human relations programs at the University of Minnesota, 1963-1970.