Index
Scholarships
The Henry B. Watkins Scholarship
The Henry B. Watkins Scholarship, established in 1980, is awarded to an incoming student who has demonstrated academic excellence with preference given to one who has shown an active involvement through volunteerism in his/her local community's not-for-profit organizations. It was established by the Watkins family, which included Robert R. Watkins, Class of 1879, Henry B. Watkins, Class of 1912, and Henry B. Watkins III, Class of 1973.
This scholarship was established by Henry B. Watkins, Class of 1912, and his grandson Henry B. Watkins III, Class of 1973, to recognize three generations of Watkins at Hamilton, dating back to Robert R. Watkins, Class of 1879.
Henry B. Watkins, a businessman and real estate mogul responsible for the development of Naples, Florida, was born in Franklinville, New York. He graduated from Hamilton in 1912 and began his career at The Kilgore Manufacturing Company in Ohio, where he became a “shrewd and successful, self-made businessman.” In 1946, he moved to Naples and formed a land investment firm. The firm came to own most of the town, and Henry zoned, planned and developed much of Naples as it exists today. He also founded the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, a resort renowned among celebrities. His vision and leadership are credited for “setting the course that has allowed Naples to become a community that has avoided the pitfalls that have befallen other communities.” He passed away at 91 years of age in 1981.
Henry B. “Hank” Watkins III followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. He enrolled at Hamilton in 1969, was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, and played on the tennis team. Hank graduated in 1973 with an A.B in mathematics. He worked in New York City at Manufacturers Hanover, Wells Fargo Leasing, and Citicorp North America, where he served as a vice president, before moving back to Naples in 1991. Hank formed the Naples Management & Investment Co., where he currently serves as president, and was named executive vice president at his family’s Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club.
Hank’s niece, Glenn Watkins, graduated from Hamilton in 2012.
June 2014
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages are awarded as part of the College’s need-based financial aid packages. These funds help ensure the Hamilton Promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
Materials published here were diligently researched and written by students who strived for historical accuracy.
