Joe Bill Watkins
Joe Bill Watkins, ’65, ’68, has been a fervent supporter of Recreational Sports since he came to the Forty Acres as a student. Although he was officially a Plan II student, he often says that he majored in Delts and Intramural Sports, a reference to his membership in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and his passion for competing in team sports. In fact, this small-town boy from Llano, Texas, won championships in football, basketball, water basketball and softball, earning his way up to 13 photos on the Intramural Wall of Fame. This remarkable record includes awards for All Intramural Basketball and Best Athlete Award in the Fraternity Division during his senior year.
In 2007, he accepted the post of RecSports Leadership Team chair during its inaugural year. His task was to oversee a group of former participants, employees and friends whose passion for Recreational Sports programs, combined with their professional success and accomplishments, would provide consultation and guidance to the department. Without hesitation, he accepted the challenge to lead the team that would devote time and resources to ensure that future generations of Longhorns would be afforded the same opportunities they once had as students. One of the team’s first accomplishments was the creation of endowed scholarships that to this day are awarded annually to outstanding student employees of Recreational Sports. Among the scholarships offered today is the DeDe and Joe Bill Watkins Endowed Scholarship established by Joe Bill and his wife, DeDe, which honors the spirit, passion and success of its namesakes.
During the For the Love of the Field campaign, to raise funds for the renovation of Whitaker Fields, Joe Bill joined the fundraising efforts of the Legal Eagles intramural football team and other members of the Leadership Team. Their combined efforts resulted in a significant contribution toward the creation of the Charles Alan Wright Fields at the Berry M. Whitaker Sports Complex which opened on March 7, 2017.
Joe Bill’s ties to the Forty Acres extend beyond Recreational Sports. He has been active with the Texas Cowboys Alumni Association, the Friar Society and the Chancellor’s Council. He served as executive assistant to the Attorney General of Texas and finance chair for former Texas Governor Mark White. He retired from the law firm of Vinson & Elkins LLP after a 40-year career.