Grinnell College Athletics

Robert Watt '67 was an impact athlete in three sports during his time at Grinnell. Competing on freshman squads before they were eligible for varsity teams, Watt served notice that he would be a mainstay of the athletic program by winning the Les Duke Freshman of the Year Award. A traditional three-sport performer, winning letters in football, basketball and track, Watt became only the fifth Pioneer in history at the time to win nine varsity letters. He joins three other nine-lettermen, Foster Rinefort '27, Ben Douglas '31, and Jim Lowry '61, in the Athletic Hall of Fame. In football, Watt helped the Pioneers to successful campaigns of 5-3 in 1964 and 6-2 in 1965. Picked in preseason polls to finish in the lower division of the Midwest Conference, Watt and the Pioneers defied odds in '65 with three, thrilling come-from-behind victories. In one of those wins at homecoming, Bob racked up 201 yards on 20 carries against Monmouth, scoring the final insurance TD with 42 seconds remaining on a 45-yard run. Against Knox, Watt scored the decisive TD on a 12-yard run to overcome a 6-7 deficit, and he intercepted a Knox pass to preserve the victory. In 1966 the team suffered through a 2-6 campaign but Bob, who served as captain, provided fireworks in the first game with a 90-yard kickoff return. Known as a role player in basketball, respect for Watt was apparent as his 1966-67 teammates named him captain. In track Watt claimed two conference titles with a quartet in the mile relay. Upon graduation the native of Winchester, Ill. received the David Theophilus Award. In 1978, Bob founded the law firm of Watt, Tieder, Hoffar and Fitzgerald in Washington, D.C., and it has grown to employ 77 attorneys. Watt was recognized in the 2000 issue of Virginia Business as one of the best lawyers in Virginia.