Dr. Mathur reached the highest pinnacle in academic life when he became the Vice-Chancellor of Agra University in 1982. Even many academicians were overawed when Dr. Mathur was raised to the august position of the Vice-Chancellor from the post of the Head of the Department in College. To many it was incredible that a teacher should become a Vice-Chancellor without being a Principal. His installation as the Vice-Chancellor was a matter of pride and honour to St. John's College and Agra College in particular and to all other colleges of the Agra University. The Managing Committee of Agra College paid a glowing tribute to Dr. Mathur on his occupying the position of Vice-Chancellorship and hosted a dinner in his honour on November 2, 1982. It unanimously passed the following Resolution in his honour:

"The Managing Committee of Agra College expresses its great delight and congratulates Dr. A. P. Mathur on his appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of Agra University. It is a matter of great pride and honour to the College that one of its Heads of Department has become the Vice-Chancellor of the University. It is a recognition of his selfless and devoted service extending over a period of thirty years.

The Committee wholeheartedly praises his honest and sincere services to the College and pays glowing tributes to him as an eminent educationist, teacher, scholar and historian. He also organised a National Integration Programme on the 400th Anniversary of Emperor Akbar's Sulh-i-Kul on a huge scale and it was a tremendous success. The Committee places on record its wholehearted appreciation of the same." (English rendering from Hindi).