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JOHN WATSON, VUU TENNIS COACH FOR 47 YEARS, PASSES
COACHED ARTHUR ASHE
Jim Junot 2/20/06
Dr.
John Watson, a professor at Virginia Union University for 57 1/2
years and head tennis coach at VUU for 47 years, passed away
Friday, February 17. He was 85 years old.
When Dr.
Watson was two years old, he and his family left Greenville,
South Carolina to settle in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It
was there that John, his three brothers, and two sisters
received their early education through the public school system
in Bethlehem.
As
the years rolled by, the desire for higher education propelled
John to obtain an A.B. degree from Howard University,
Washington, D.C.; a Certificate of Graduate Studies from the
University of Paris, France; a M.A.
degree from Columbia University, New York, and a PhD. from
Catholic University, Washington, D.C.
He
served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1943 to 1946
and was present when General George Patton's forces liberated
Paris.
Dr.
Watson's teaching credentials were equally impressive.
Besides instructing at Howard University and Virginia State
University in Petersburg, he also held the position of Professor
and Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages at Virginia
Union University in Richmond, where he served for 57 1/2 years.
Watson
was equally well educated in the finer aspects of tennis.
Having achieved a Virginia District ranking of #6 in years past,
he held rankings within the top three senior divisions of the
American Tennis Association (ATA) and was a finalist in the
senior division of the ATA Championships in Boston,
Massachusetts.
He
was Arthur Ashe's tennis coach and is credited with turning the
Richmond native into one of the world's greatest tennis players.
The
greatest personal satisfaction he enjoyed came from the positive
impact that he had on so many children of all ethnic backgrounds
through tennis. He served as tournament director of the
Southeastern Tennis Tournament and secured hundreds of
scholarships for his participants. Dr. Watson
was instrumental in developing hundreds of juniors into
constructive and useful citizens by encouraging them to reach
their full potential. He also served as President of the
Richmond Racquet Club and First Vice President of the ATA.
He served as Varsity Tennis Coach at Virginia Union
University for 47 years.
In
1992, Dr. Watson was inducted into the Mid Atlantic Tennis Hall of
Fame.
Dr.
Watson reflected in 1992: "Considering the number of years in
which I have been involved with tennis, you can say that my life
demonstrates what USTA has been
stating: tennis is truly a sport for a lifetime."
His
wake will be held Friday, February 24, at Scott's Funeral Home at
115 E. Brookland Park Blvd. in
Richmond from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Dr.
Watson's funeral is set for Saturday, February 25, at Moore Street
Baptist Church at 1408 W. Leigh Street in Richmond, Va., at 11
a.m.
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