Watkins Honored with Huntingdon Loyalty Award
Montgomery, Ala.—Auburn resident Shirley Parker Watkins was honored
by the Huntingdon College National Alumni Association with the Alumni Loyalty Award during the Reunion
Weekend Alumni Awards Banquet, Friday, April 3. Watkins was present with her husband, William
“Wick” Watkins.
A member of the Class of 1956 at Huntingdon College, Watkins was active in
campus life, serving as chairman of the Residence Hall Court and on the Executive Council of the SGA.
She was a member of the International Relations Club and played the role of “the lovable young
lady” in the senior comedy in 1956. Watkins was elected a “school beauty” in 1955 and
1956 and was voted May Queen in 1956.
Following graduation, Watkins did post-graduate study at Winthrop College in Rock Hill, South
Carolina, where she earned her teacher’s certificate. She spent her career teaching English at all
levels: elementary, junior high, and high school. The majority of her teaching years were spent at Lee
Scott Academy in Auburn, where she was voted “favorite teacher” in 1984.
The Watkinses are active members of Auburn United Methodist Church, where Shirley Watkins serves as a
volunteer for a prayer chain and as a hospital visitation volunteer. She has been a member of the Auburn
Women’s Club since 1984, serving two terms as recording secretary.
Watkins is a past member of the Huntingdon College National Alumni Board. She and her husband are
members of the Huntingdon Society, the John Massey Heritage Society, and the Order of the Countess of
Huntingdon giving society. In 2001, Wick Watkins established an endowed scholarship in Shirley Watkins’
name to honor her love for Huntingdon and in celebration of her 45th class reunion.
“Shirley Watkins has given so much of herself to Huntingdon—time, talent, and treasure,”
said Huntingdon President J. Cameron West. “Most importantly, she has given her heart, and her
enthusiasm and support of this college have inspired others to join her along the same pathways. She is
most deserving of this award.”
Huntingdon College, grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition of the United Methodist Church, is
committed to nurturing growth in faith, wisdom, and service and to graduating individuals prepared to
succeed in a rapidly changing world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts college.
The College motto, “Enter to grow in wisdom; go forth to apply wisdom in service,” is inscribed
in stone above the front door of John Jefferson Flowers Hall. Celebrating its centennial year in
Montgomery this year, the campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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