Once a semester, the President’s Speaker Series features a community role model. Yesterday, Oct. 8, former congressman J.C. Watts was invited to speak in the Killenger Auditorium on the Sam Houston State campus. He stopped by the campus as a part of his three-day tour through Oklahoma and Texas.
“It’s good to be on a college campus with college students and be a part of the energy and excitement you pick up on a college campus,” Watts said.
President Gaertner kicked off the event by introducing Watts and giving a brief biography.
“Character is doing what is right when no one is looking,” Gaertner said. “I can truthfully say that he is genuine, impressive He enjoyed his visits with the students; he’s as nice in person as he is from afar on television.”
Watts is currently the chairman of the JC Watts Companies, and advising and serving as a corporate director for companies such as John Deere, Well Fargo, Dillards, NASCAR, and Clear Channel Communications, among others.
In 1994, Watts was elected to the U.S. congress, serving on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the House Banking Committee and the House Select Committee on Homeland Security.
During the speech, he spoke of his experiences in Congress, making friends and learning all the processes involved with coalitions and voting. He also injected a bit of comedy to his Congress anecdotes.
“If God only gave me eight years to live, I would want to spend the time as a U.S. Congressman, because that has been the longest eight years of my life.”
He also reiterated common sense and society, discussing World War II values.
“If we are to solve America’s problems, we’ve got to use common sense,” he said. “We’ve got to find new ways to deal with old problems”