Grady Watts

If those long, dull, away-trips-by-bus are not the athletes passion--let them try private cars.

That's how former three-time all. American Crimson laxman Grady Watts '62 traveled in 1960 and again in 1961, the first two of three outstanding seasons he played here.

"Lacrosse wasn't recognized as a major varsity sport until my senior year here, so we had to find our own transportation." Watts says. "We'd get a couple of cars together to make our trips."

The cramped transportation and long hauls obviously didn't affect Watt's playing ability much. From 1960-62 he had the most successful career any Crimson lacrosse player has ever had.

Besides being a three-time all-America selection, the former team captain has claim to six lacrosse records including one that makes him the highest scorer in Harvard history. In 1960 and again in '61 he led the nation in total points scored. He also holds the Harvard record for most points scored in a season with 100 as well as sharing the single game honor with 11.

He speaks modestly of it now: "Yeah, I guess I did lead the nation in scoring that year"--and after a pause--"but it was so long ago that it's hard to remember."

Today, Watts has little contact with the game. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in government, the former Kirkland House resident studied film production at Stanford's graduate school of communications. In California he played some pickup lacrosse occassionally but has given it up since he returned East in 1967. He now lives in Washington D.C., where he owns a film company that specializes in documentaries and political advertising. But when he does recall his years at Harvard. What comes to mind is not his own deft stickhandling and the resulting records. Instead he remembers former coach Bruce Munro and the 1960 Yale game.

"It was great working with Bruce Munro--I really enjoyed it," he says, adding, "and of course we always had the special rivalry with Yale." In the 1960 season Munro's squad gave him one of his biggest wins ever. Sporting a 11-3-1 record, they faced the Bulldogs in the season's final game. Sophomore Watts chipped in one goal and five assissts--raising his total to 63, the nation's best--and the Crimson slugged Yale, 16-13. The victory gave them a second place Ivy finish, but more importantly, provided Munro with his first win over Yale in a lengthy coaching career.

Watts has traded success on the business school field for success in the business field. "Lacrosse was important in my life as a student, but I've got other commitments now," he says.

He does, however, manage to keep in touch with Crimson lacrosse. Each year he sojourns to New York where the laxmen play in the "Day of Chmpions" event held out on Long Island. "I'm not familiar with any of the players," he says, "but it feels sort of like a reunion to me."