The NCAA News - News and Features

July 21, 1997

Division II Management Council fills two vacancies

A faculty athletics representative and director of athletics have been appointed to vacancies on the Division II Management Council.

Lawrence E. Fitzgerald, a member of the communication department faculty and faculty athletics representatives at Southern Connecticut State University, will represent the New England Collegiate Conference, and James W. Watson, athletics director at West Liberty State College, will represent the West Virginia Athletic Conference.

Fitzgerald replaces C. Donald Cook of Sacred Heart University and Watson replaces Colin T. Cameron of Fairmont State College. Both were appointed for full four-year terms.

Fitzgerald has been a faculty member at Southern Connecticut State since 1965 and has served as the institution's faculty representative since 1978, when he also became chair of the school's Intercollegiate Athletics Board of Control.

He served from 1989 to 1995 as a member of the NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Rules Committee.

Fitzgerald holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Southern Connecticut State and a doctorate from New York University.

Watson is in his ninth year as athletics director at West Liberty State and in his 27th year on the athletics staff.

He came to the school in 1971 as head athletic trainer and baseball coach. He stepped down from coaching in 1982 after leading his baseball teams to five league championships.

Watson continued to serve as athletic trainer and as associate professor of physical education, and then was named athletics director in 1989.

He has served during the NCAA governance structure transition period as a member of the Division II Financial Aid Project Team.

Watson earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Springfield College before joining the West Liberty State staff.