The late D. Henry Watts’ association with Batten University dates back to his appointment to the executive leadership team of Norfolk Southern Corporation in the 1980s. He often recounted how he and his late wife, Eleanor, “fell in love” with what was then “a small liberal arts college that was impacting lives.”
About D. Henry Watts
Dr. Watts attended the University of Alabama, the University of Virginia, and George Washington University, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in business administration. A retired vice chairman of Norfolk Southern Corporation, his early career began in Birmingham, Alabama, with Southern Railway. He first came to Norfolk as vice president of personnel and corporate development for Norfolk Southern in 1982, later serving as executive vice president of planning and development and executive vice president of marketing before being named vice chairman in 1995. Beginning in 1974, he also became a lecturer at George Washington University.
Dr. Watts first became an active member of Batten University’s Board of Trustees in 1989. He was a past Board Chair and Parliamentarian, and in 2021 became Trustee Emeritus. In 2007, he was awarded the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.
The Watts’ Generosity to Batten University
The Watts’ generosity to Batten University has manifested in many ways, including the construction of the Eleanor and Henry Watts Field House for the softball team, the Eleanor and Henry Watts Grand Lobby and Gallery in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, the Eleanor and Henry Watts Endowed Scholarships, and funding various programs in the Robert Nusbaum Center and through the Marlins Athletic Fund. Dr. Watts was also instrumental in funding the 2015 Institutional Review, which provided the basis for the Campus Master Plan: Transformation Now! (2016–26).
In addition to his contributions to Batten University, Dr. Watts was very active in the community, serving on the Board of the Virginia Opera, the Norfolk Airport Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Virginia Beach United Methodist Church. For four decades, the entire Watts family frequented the campus, cheering for Marlin basketball and softball.
The D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies is named in gratitude for Henry Watts, recognizing over four decades of leadership and support of Batten University and his outstanding contributions to the Hampton Roads business community.
