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Eudell Watts and Ronald Reagan remember old times at the dedication of Eureka College's Library.
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On June 8, 2004 the Rock Island Argus and Daily Dispatch published a wonderful story about the lifelong friendship of Eudell Watts of Rock Island and former President Ronald Reagan. The story gave a local, Rock Island connection and tribute to Reagan shortly after his death. I posted the story and requested permission to use it at the same time, but found that it would violate the newspapers' copyright law. So, Marie, Eudell's daughter, and I have reworked the story in our own words since she gave the story to the paper in the first place. Upon Ronald Reagan's death, Eudell Watts' daughter, Marie Grigsby, shared the following stories about the lifelong friendship of two football players at Eureka College. When Reagan was a movie star, Eudell would tell his family how Mr. Reagan was just an "ordinary joe, just one of the guys." Whenever the two friends had occasion to meet, such as the dedication of the Eureka College Library, Mr. Reagan never forgot his old friend, "Lump," who was known for the lumps he gave to the opposing team. When Mr. Reagan spoke to the Davenport Chamber of Commerce between his movie and political careers, Lump tried to slip into the back door to hear him speak. Mr. Reagan saw him and waved him to come up front. He never forgot his old football buddies. When Ronald Reagan wrote his autobiography, "Where's the Rest of Me?" he recalled his old friend, Eudell Watts. He told about a drop kick field goal that won the game and also the fact that Eudell had to leave Eureka College because of the Depression. In spite of that he still created a successful trucking company in Rock Island. "We delight in the friendship between our dad and Ronald Reagan." Mrs. Grigsby said. "Because the future president chose to remember dad in the pages of his 1965 autobiography, he put a glimpse of Eudell Watts Jr. on bookshelves across the nation and carried his name into history forever." In 1980, Eudell was ill and received a get-well card from the future President. Later he was invited to the
inauguration. In 1990, Eudell Watts died, but President Reagan sent a heart-felt note to his family: |
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Reagan and Watts were teammates
on the Eureka college football team in 1928. Ronald Reagan is wearing a white uniform in the second row. Eudell
Watts is at the right end of the first row. These pictures were submitted by Eudell's daughter, Marie Grigsby.