06/30/2014

Fellow MTASers,

Last Friday, it was my privilege to attend, along with Mary Jinks and Rhonda Campbell, an event hosted by Dawn Crawford and the TML Risk Management Pool. The event was a “remembrance” of Robert Watson, a longtime Knoxville attorney, who passed away recently. A few of you have told me of your acquaintance with Robert, but many of us never had the opportunity to know or work with him.

He was a native Virginian, but attended UT Knoxville as an undergraduate and law school. He began practicing law in 1972 and established his own firm in Knoxville in 1983 as what is now known as Watson, Roach, Batson, Rowell and Lauderback, P.L.C. He represented a variety of clients, including the City of Knoxville and Knox County, both for over 30 years. And he was Chief Trial Counsel for the Risk Management Pool for the past 20 years. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Pam Reeves and Robert’s son-in-law, Benj Lauderback, remembered him as “a lawyer’s lawyer”.

To memorialize the respect, admiration and appreciation which the Risk Management Pool holds for Robert and the work he provided The Pool, Dawn announced the donation of a monetary gift to MTAS to be used to support and furnish the MTAS library once the move to the new building is completed in Knoxville. The library will become known as the Robert H. Watson MTAS Library. Robert’s wife, Pat, expressed her and her family’s gratitude for the naming of the library. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to thank the Risk Management Pool board of directors for its kind and generous gift.

This gift from The Pool is another manifestation of a great partnership between MTAS and The Pool…a partnership clearly focused on our mutual customers – the cities and towns of Tennessee…several of which benefited from Robert Watson’s talents and expertise.

Jim Thomas, Executive Director
Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS)
The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service
Office (615) 532-4950 Cell (615) 972-9219

jim.thomas@tennessee.edu

www.mtas.tennessee.edu