Greetings to all of our Constituents:

I have had a couple of weeks to get my feet on the ground here at LeMoyne-Owen College, and have been impressed with the cooperation and support that I have received from faculty, staff and members of the community in my new role. I am delighted to be a part of the LeMoyne-Owen College family and to have been chosen by its Board of Trustees to provide continuity of leadership at a very important time in the College’s history. I plan to work diligently to build consensus among all of the College’s constituent groups and to take steps that will help to stabilize and grow the institution. I strongly believe this can be done, if we all work together.

I am no stranger to LeMoyne-Owen College. I have served as a member of the LeMoyne-Owen College Board of Trustees since 2000. I have chaired the Academic Affairs Committee and have served as First Vice Chairman.  Since my retirement as Superintendent of the Memphis City Schools on December 31, 2003, I have conducted leadership training, been involved in community/church activities and have traveled.

Some may not be aware that I am a native Memphian who, until age 12, lived in the LeMoyne Gardens Housing Project – then located across the street from the College.  Four of my sisters graduated from LeMoyne, and I graduated from the College in 1960 after serving as President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Future Teachers of America.  I attended Booker T. Washington High School and was a member of the National Honor Society.  But, I didn’t realize how well LeMoyne had prepared me until I enrolled in Indiana University ( Bloomington) from which I obtained a Master’s Degree in 1966.  One of the crowning achievements of my professional career was realized in 2001, when I was awarded the Doctor of Laws Degree (Honorary) from LeMoyne-Owen College.

After graduating in 1960, I taught at Carver High School until 1968 when I was promoted to a supervisory position in the Department of Pupil Services.  After serving as Assistant Director of Guidance, Director of Attendance, Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services, I was appointed Deputy Superintendent in 1988.  My lifetime commitment and dedication to education came full circle in 2000 when I was appointed Superintendent of the Memphis City Schools.  My experience in higher education as Chair of the Education Department and Distinguished Associate Professor at Rhodes College, as Adjunct Professor at the University of Memphis; my summer employment at Lane College and Alcorn College, all will be helpful during this interim presidency.

As Deputy Superintendent of the Memphis City Schools, I assisted in establishing the Middle College High School on the campus of Shelby State Community College and served as consultant to the Mott Foundation on “The Middle College High School.”  During my eight years at Rhodes College, I was an annual presenter at the National Social Science Convention Conference.  I made over 500 presentations during my 43-year professional career that included presentations for the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the American College Testing Program (ACT) and was the Memphis City Schools’ representative to the College Board.

College, please give my office a call to see how we might arrange for that possibility. Thank you again for your continued support.














Johnnie B. Watson
President (Interim)
LeMoyne-Owen College