Lieutenant General Claudius “Bud” Watts, USAF (Retired), The Citadel Class of 1958 will be laid to final rest with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, 25 January 2024 @ 1100 EST. Attendees should be at the Administration Building by 1030 EST. More information to follow.
All alumni and guests are welcome to attend.
For directions to the Memorial Chapel, please see Arlington National Cemetery's website https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/
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Remembering Lt. Gen. Claudius “Bud” Watts III, ’58, former President of The Citadel
The Citadel community honors Lt. Gen. Claudius “Bud” Watts III, ’58
Lt. Gen. Claudius Watts Obituary (The Post and Courier)
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Lieutenant General Claudius “Bud” Watts, United States Air Force (Retired), native of Cheraw, South Carolina, graduated from the Citadel in 1958 and became the 17th President of The Citadel.
During Cadet Watt’s tenure at The Citadel, he stood out as an athlete and a scholar. He attended The Citadel on a full academic scholarship, The Star of the West Scholarship, and distinguished himself among his classmates as the Chairman of the Cadet Honor Committee, Third Battalion Commander, and as an ROTC cadet.
As an Air Force officer, Lieutenant General Watts amassed 7,000 flight hours as a Command Pilot, flying around the world as an aircraft commander conducting flight operations on every continent, including Antarctica. His service included 276 combat missions in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross three times, as well as other gallantry and combat awards. He commanded flying units at multiple levels, including an Airlift Group and an Airlift Wing.
Lt. Gen. Watts became the first president to enter The Citadel Athletic Hall of
Fame. As the 17th President of The Citadel, he oversaw The Citadel’s interests in the creation of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, a $8 million renovation of McAlister Field House and the creation of Vandiver Hall. He was a firm believer that “athletics are a major aspect of the total program of The Citadel.” During his presidency, The Citadel’s baseball team participated in the 1990 College World Series and the football team captured the 1992 Southern Conference Championship. He was a member of the NCAA Council, served on a NCAA Ad Hoc Committee, a member of the NCAA Council as a representative to the NCAA Academic Requirements Committee, and chaired the NCAA peer review of teams for NCAA Certification.
His leadership was further tested with Hurricane Hugo which marked his seven-year tenure with rapid recovery from the hurricane and long-term improvements in facilities and programs.
