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Watts Named to WV Coal Hall of Fame

Royce J. Watts, the College’s associate dean for administration, has been named to the West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1998 by the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute, the West Virginia Coal Association and the Central Appalachian Section of SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration), to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the coal industry in West Virginia.

Watts, the first child of a coal miner, was born in a company house in the coal mining community of Cassity in Randolph County, West Virginia, in 1929. His father died in a coal mining accident in Boone County, West Virginia, in 1942. Royce grew up in Tyler County, West Virginia, and graduated from Tyler County High School in 1946.

After his high school graduation, he served in the U.S. Army for several years, serving both in World War II and the Korean War. During his Army service, he received numerous awards and decorations, including the Silver Star. After leaving active duty, he served in the Army Reserve for many years, retiring as a full colonel in 1989.

Royce earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WVU and joined the faculty of the University as an instructor of accounting and economics in 1955. More than five decades later, he continues to teach while serving as associate dean of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, where he has been an integral part of the College’s growth and success.

Watts has received numerous awards for his service to WVU, the Mineral Resources (Mining and Petroleum) Alumni Chapter of WVU, and the West Virginia coal industry through his participation in the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute.

In 1997 he was recognized as a Distinguished West Virginia by Governor Cecil B. Underwood for his contributions to the continuing education of mining professionals.

Watts has long been involved in the Mining, Petroleum, and Natural Gas Museum at WVU. In 2005, the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute endowed the museum, and renamed it the Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum to honor the couple’s contributions to WVU and the state’s mining heritage.

In 2007, Watts received the Erskin Ramsey Gold Medal from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). In the same year, after more than 50 years of dedicated service to the University, he received the Most Loyal Faculty Mountaineer during WVU’s Homecoming celebrations.

Watts is married to the former Caroline I. Baker of St. George, West Virginia. She also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WVU and a retired high school teacher who taught in the Monongalia County Schools. The couple has one son, Royce J., II (R.J.), a graduate of WVU and of the Emory University School of Law.

05/15/2008