MEDIA RELEASE__In gratitude for Billy ’96 and Brenda Watterson’s profound generosity to the University of Findlay, UF has named its newest building in their honor.  

The Findlay community came together April 30 to celebrate the dedication of the Watterson Center, formerly known as the College of Business/Center for Student Life building.

President Katherine Fell, Ph.D., thanked the Wattersons for their gift of $6 million to establish the Watterson Center for Ethical Leadership, in addition to their extensive support for the Findlay Fund, scholarships, and other campus facilities. 

Noting how the couple exemplify the traits of ethical leadership including compassion, faith, service and vision, she said, “We are proud that Billy and Brenda are part of the Oiler family.”

The Wattersons were joined at the ceremony by family members from around the country, along with UF trustees, students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Billy said he is grateful for his educational journey at the University, adding, “You provided me the tools to become the person I am today.”

Emphasizing the need for ethical leadership in today’s culture, the couple hopes the Watterson Center will empower students in the next generation “with leadership skills to change the world,” he said. 

Watterson shared some advice that he recently was given: “If you want to know if you are a good leader, look at your wake. If people are flourishing in your wake, you know you have done something right.”

Sarah Fedirka, Ph.D., director of the Watterson Center for Ethical Leadership, shared an update on the Watterson Scholars program, one of several initiatives being developed.

Launching this fall, the Watterson Scholars program is a four-year, undergraduate opportunity available to incoming first-year students in any major.

“These students are united by a shared commitment to ethical leadership and meaningful engagement with real communities facing real challenges, including communities right here in Findlay-Hancock County,” she explained. “Watterson Scholars learn how their academic passions connect to the common good.”

The program forms ethical leaders learning to discern and follow their unique vocations in service to others, Fedirka continued, inviting students to “pursue an education that shapes not only a career, but a life of meaning and impact.”

Formerly Ohio residents, the Wattersons currently live in the Low County, South Carolina, where they own Watterson Brands LLC and have created the Watterson Family Foundation and the Low Country Legacy Fund to expand their charitable giving opportunities.

After graduating from UF in 1996, Billy joined Sears, Roebuck, and Co. at their world headquarters in Illinois, and then started his first business Watterson Environmental Group in 2001, followed by several other companies specializing in recycling, environmental and hazard recovery. 

That was the beginning of many years of fostering small businesses and local entrepreneurs, encouraging and funding training for business owners, and helping them to expand their networks – all with a mission of helping others to succeed.

The couple continues their work in the hospitality industry providing support for new enterprises in South Carolina and locally in Ada, Ohio.

Billy Watterson has served on the UF Board of Trustees since 2016.

“The doors that Billy and Brenda have opened for others and the generosity they have lived has set an example for all of us in the UF community,” said Kenneth McIntyre Jr., vice president of University advancement. “Thank you for allowing us to recognize you by naming this building in your honor.”