William J. Watt, former dean of the Collee and professor of Chemistry at Washington and Lee University, died Tuesday, July 25, 2006. He was 80 years old.
"Bill's contributions to Washington and Lee University as faculty member and dean and citizen of the community have been matched by few others," said Ken Ruscio, president of W&L. "But he will be remembered even more for the manner of his leadership, his warm intelligence, his civility and his concern for faculty and students. He personified the essential virtues of the university."
A member of the faculty since 1955, Watt earned his B. S. from the University of Illinois in 1949, his masters from Cornell University in 1951 and his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Cornell in 1956. He previously taught at Cornell and Davidson. He served in the U.S. Army from 1944-46.
Watt was named assistant dean of the College in 1966, associate dean two years later and dean in 1971. In 1984, he returned to full-time teaching and served a five-year term as chair of the chemistry department and as the pre-med advisor. He retired in 1994.
He said in the summer of 1994 issue of the Alumni Magazine, "[Thirteen Years] is a long time for a person to be dean. I think you use up your credibility with people. You have to make 'bad' decisions, which many people don't like, for the good of the institution. And after you've made so many of those, you've worn out your welcome. People are much nicer since I've stopped being dean."
"Bill Watt was a great dean," said former president Bob Huntley '50, '57L. "Gentle by nature, firm in conviction, long on courage - these strengths and his empathy for students and faculty made him exceptionally effective and much admired. To me, when I was serving as president, he was invaluable as a talented administrator and a wise source of counsel. He became and remained a fast friend, whom I shall sorely miss."
As dean of the college, Watt hired a significant portion of the senior faculty. "He defined the place," said Provost Tom Williams. "He inspired us not by insisting on excellence, but by example. In a very personal touch, he and Helen entertained new faculty in their home. It was his way of letting them know that W&L was - and still is - a family-centered place."
During his career at W&L, he wrote several successful grant proposals to fund faculty research, spearheaded the Campaign for Washington and Lee that raised $561,000 from faculty and staff and even resolved a student protest in 1970 over wearing robes to graduation. He also chaired two presidential searches and helped the university with its transition in the late 1960s and coeducation in the mid-1980s.
Known for his razo-sharp memory - students said he could remember their dates from Francy Dress years after the fact - Watt was also an avid reader, bridge players, choir singer and follower of the T.V. quiz show Jeopardy! He and his wife, Helen, traveled extensively.
In the classroom, Watt was highly regarded for his rich lecture style. "He had a clear train of thought," said Steven Desjardins, associate professor of chemistry, "but it wasn't like going down the interstate; it was more like traveling down Route 66 - he liked to stop for side trips, to throw new information at you, but he never lost the main trail. He had tremendous respect for detail and was marvelously talented at weaving it all together." Brown Goehring, professor emeritus of chemistry who team-taught with Watt, said, "Bill could sense what a student could or could not grasp and would quietly help them bridge that gap."
Watt was active in the Robert E. Lee Research Program and sponsored National Science Foundation research grants for W&L undergraduates. He was a research participant at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a visiting professor for an NSF institute for High School Teachers at Alabama College, an NSF researcher at the University of Virginia and a visiting professor of chemistry at UVA. He was president of the Conference of Academic Deans of Southern States and a member of the Virginia Council of Higher Education.
Watt was an active participant in his community, too, serving as president of the Rockbridge Chapter of the Virginia Musem of Fine Arts, as president of the Rockbridge Concert-Theatre Series, as president of the Lexington Branch of the English Speaking Union, as a board member of Episcopal High School, as chairman of the Rockbridge Regional Library Board, as a member of the vestry of Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church, as a member of the Fortnightly Club and as a member of the board of publishers of Shenandoah.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mrs. Helen G. Watt; three children: John G. Watt of Baltimore, MD; Phyllis W. Wilson and husband Brian, of Washington, DC; and William J. "Bill" Watt Jr. and wife Carol, of Richmond; five grandchildren.
The service will be conducted at R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington on Friday, July 28, 2006 at 11 a.m. by the Revs. David Cox and Barry W. Miller. Burial services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church, 123 W. Washington St., Lexington, Va. 24450, the Kendal Fellowship Fund, 160 Kendal Drive, Lexington, Va. 24450 or to the Washington and Lee University, 204 W. Washington St., Lexington, Va. 24450.
Arrangements are being handled by the Harrison Funeral Home and Crematory, Lexington.
