Leadership links pilot to Guthrie centennial job

By Bryan Painter

Published: July 30, 2006

GUTHRIE - Let's go on a quick geographical tour of George Watts' life.

He was born in Boston and is an alumnus of Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

And through years in the military and business, Watts lived in Lubbock and Fort Worth, Texas; Plattsburgh, N.Y.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Montgomery, Ala.; Colorado Springs, Colo., and then even closer to Denver before landing in Guthrie 18 months ago.

So how did Watts, 59, come to accept the position of centennial director for the city of Guthrie? How did he end up with the mission of trying to get people to Oklahoma's first state capital during the state's 100th birthday?

The easiest way to figure that out is to look at the hundreds of other missions in which he was involved -- those aboard a B-52 bomber or an F-111 fighter bomber over North Vietnam, northern Laos and throughout Southeast Asia.

War and a celebration as equals? Absolutely not. But it's important to connect the dots to understand how Watts came to lead this historic celebration of historic proportions in Guthrie. The connection is leadership.

At least once a month through 2007, this column will examine people behind and history within Oklahoma's centennial celebration. I'll begin with insight into one leader.

"George Watts is the kind of individual we're looking for in every community around the state of Oklahoma because George is totally committed to making the centennial in Guthrie a tremendous success," said J. Blake Wade, executive director of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission. "His sincerity and his being able to take the time to spend on this has been wonderful."

Past and Present
John Stuart was an "old head" aircraft commander from New England. Watts defines that as experienced. And Stuart shared that experience with a fellow New Englander in Southeast Asia day after day.

"He taught me a lot of things, gave me good advice," said Watts, who was in his mid-20s at the time. "You mature as a pilot as you learn airmanship, and I learned from a great friend in John Stuart."

One night they were in separate B-52s over Hanoi. Stuart was about a thousand feet above Watts.

The flash that lit up the night initially led Watts to believe he'd been hit.

It wasn't until later that he learned a surface-to-air missile had hit Stuart's plane.

When you really lead or really follow you become attached to not only the mission, but the people involved. Emotionally, Watts took a hit that night as well.

Many missions were successful, and many days they returned to the base unharmed. But Watts believes it's the combination of the leadership he observed and the tragedies he experienced that laid a foundation for his future.

"I am very proud to be serving my community in my retirement after serving my nation," Watts said. "I am a real believer in the kind of leaders the military produces -- men and women who know how to motivate men and women."

When he says he's happy to be serving his community in retirement, he actually means in his second retirement.

In January 2005, he retired from Northrop Grumman Corp. in Denver. Watts said the position required him to support more than 20 federal customers and lead 250 employees.

Before going the corporate way, he retired as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of service.

Alighting in Guthrie
The first time Watts passed through the 46th state in the union was as a second lieutenant driving his new MGB sports car on the way from his mother's Michigan home to pilot training in Lubbock.

"I knew I liked the land but didn't know I'd marry a girl from Oklahoma," he said.

He did -- 32 years ago -- and that union brought its own connections to Oklahoma and its history.

His wife, Mary, grew up in Chandler and graduated from high school in Wewoka. Her great-grandfather made the land run in April 1889 and settled near Guthrie.

It was 113 years later that Mary and George Watts, while living in Colorado, were driving around Oklahoma after the burial of Mary's mother, Elizabeth Cunningham.

"We'd read about Guthrie and seen it in some commercials, so we wanted to take a look," he said. "We liked the town, thought it was very historic."

In July 2003, they bought a home in Guthrie.

After retiring, he made the move to Guthrie in January 2005.

A few months later, Watts was named centennial director for the city of Guthrie.

"In my role as centennial director, my job is to give the committee chairman the charter, the authority, the resources and the responsibility to be successful and then give them the credit," he said. "I have excellent committees."

There are 10 of these, including historical re-enactments, youth participation and parades and music.

Guthrie is planning two parades, one this November and one the next.

"The first fact I learned when we came to visit Guthrie was that when the land run occurred, Guthrie was the place everyone came for the land run," Watts said .

And their theme for the statehood celebration: "Guthrie, The Place To Be."

Watts may have traveled this country's map and that of others, but his mission is to lead a lot of people to land in Guthrie.

Write Bryan Painter: P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City 73125 Fax Bryan Painter: 475-3183

Call Bryan Painter: (405) 740-4179

E-mail me: bpainter@oklahoman.com