Laverne L. Watkins

Laverne Watkins was born in Joplin, Missouri, and first came to Lincoln University in 1941 on a work/study program in which students worked a portion of the day and attended classes a portion of the day.  Laverne was drafted into the military during World War II and served in the Army Air Corps, until discharged in 1946.  He returned to Lincoln University under the provisions of the GI education bill and received his BS degree in degree in Building Engineering and Construction in January 1950.

Laverne was employed for 29 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C., retiring in 1979 as Chief of the Research Support Division of the Coastal Engineering Research Center.  Laverne contributed to The Beach Erosion Board Publication “Shore Protection, Planning and Design”, published in 1954 and is the author of Technical Memorandum No. 27, “Corrosion and Protection of Steel Piling in Sea Water”, published by the Coastal Engineering Center in 1969.

Laverne is a financially active member of the Lincoln University National Alumni Association and the Washington, DC Metro Chapter.  Laverne has been a generous financial contributor to Lincoln for many years.  He has a life membership in the National Alumni Association. He has been a financial contributor to the University’s library fund, The Class of 1950 Scholarship Fund, the Tom Joyner Campaign and the Washington, DC Metro Chapter’s Annual Giving Fund for 2001 and 2002.  Laverne was a vital committee member of the Washington, DC Chapter’s 2000 Annual Giving Fund Committee that helped raise more than $21,000 to establish the Lucille Gayle Memorial Scholarship Fund.

In addition to his support of chapter and University fund drives, Laverne has established with the Lincoln University Foundation, an endowed (at least 10,000) scholarship in memory of his late wife, “The Corrine Watkins Memorial Scholarship Fund”.

Since graduation from Lincoln in 1950 and relocation to the Washington, D.C. area, Laverne has been very involved with the Washington, D.C. chapter.  Laverne served as the President of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Chapter during 1969-1970.  Considerable progress was made during his term to expand and establish the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Chapter, which now includes members from Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Laverne has been chair of the chapter's Membership Reclamation Committee for the past four years and under his able leadership this committee has spearheaded activities resulting in adding new members and the resulting dollars to the chapter's treasury.  Laverne was a member of the host committee for the 1999 Alumni Convention held in Washington, DC.  Laverne regularly attends meetings of the Washington, D.C. Chapter and works tirelessly and unselfishly on behalf of the chapter and the University.

A grandfather, he serves as a volunteer at schools where his grandsons attend.