British writer and film director
Secretary of Energy under President George Bush , Watkins was a career naval officer with experience in nuclear technology and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Earlier, in 1987, had been appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic to examine the AIDS crisis, and contributed to Reagans controversial Strategic Defense Initiative.
At the United States Naval Academy, Watkins was one class behind Jimmy Carter , who sometimes hazed him by forcing him to sing while standing on a chair in the mess hall.
Brother of George Watkins
Watkins was a deeply religious Roman Catholic father of six who had once called the militarys ban on homosexuals "a sound policy.".
In 2001, Watkins began chairing another presidential commission, with a mandate to establish a comprehensive national ocean policy.
After taking charge of the Energy Department in 1989, Watkins launched the first program to clean up pollution at the nations nuclear plants and spearheaded the administrations energy legislation.
At the Energy Department, Watkins also developed a 10-point plan to strengthen environmental protection and waste management activities in the agency, and instituted policy designed to decrease American dependence on foreign oil. He left the post in 1993.
During his 37-year naval career, he rose to chief naval officer and was known for developing a maritime strategy for dealing with the Soviet Union and for improving the lives of those serving in the Navy and their families.
The sixth of seven children.
His grandfather George Clinton Ward was president of Southern California Edison in the early 1930s, and his father, Edward Francis Watkins, owned the Southern California Winery Co. and grew grapes in what is now San Marino.
In 1938 his mother Louise unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Senate.
After receiving a bachelors degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, Watkins served on submarines during the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 1958, he earned a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
By the late 1970s, Watkins was commander of the 6th Fleet and in the early 1980s served as commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet.
Had 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
