This semester, students in the First Year Seminar course, “The Life and Music of Doc Watson,” visited the Special Collections Research Center on August 27 and 29 to learn about the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection’s resources related to Doc Watson.
The course instructor is Willard C. Watson III (pictured above), an Appalachian State alumnus with an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Development and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies with a concentration in Sustainability. He is also the great-grandson of toymaker and musician Willard C. Watson, who was the first cousin of Doc Watson.
Willard III discovered his familial connection to his great-grandfather during his first year as an undergraduate, when a professor encouraged him to research his namesake in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection.
Willard III discovered the "Watson, Willard" newspaper clippings file of his great-grandfather while learning about his family history.
After realizing his connection to well-known historical regional artists, Willard worked as a student assistant at the public services desk in the Appalachian Collection. Now, he brings his first-year students to the Collection, not only due to the relevant course subject, but also so that he can introduce them to a place where they can learn about their own heritage, since many are from the Appalachian Region.
Willard’s interest in his family history has led him to work in the field of cultural and historical preservation; presently, he is the Programs and Outreach Director at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
--By Greta Browning, Reference & Instruction Archivist
Willard Watson III teaching during a class visit to the Special Collections Research Center
Willard Watson III teaching in the Special Collections Research Center