James David Patton, 78, Morgantown native, passed away on November 11, 2019. Patton graduated from WVU with a BS and MS in chemical engineering. He ROBSON began his career with Humble Oil over eight other refineries and thus began his career with Exxon. During his time at Exxon, he managed the engineering for mining operations contributed in the development of the Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) to define safety, security, health and environmental performance criteria for all operations worldwide until he retired in 1999. After the family moved to Puerto Rico, Esso Puerto Rico hired Patton as a consultant for a job for the next ten years. Patton is survived by his wife, Georgina and his sons David and Justin. Ronald James Robson,75, passed away on April 29 at his home in Hurricane, West Virginia. His career with Union Carbide spanned 30 ROBSON years. Robson received his bachelor’s degree from the Statler College in 1968. He was a member of AIChE and spent many years as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Robson is survived by his wife, Pauline and his daughter and son.
REMEMBERING MR. WATTS A TRIBUTE BY DANIELLE PETRAK
PERSINGER
Alex Chiahuei Kuo, 70, passed away on December 1. A native of Taipei, Taiwan, he earned his PhD in chemical engineering in 1978 from WVU. He KUO spent 25 years with Union Carbide Corporation and Dow Chemical Company. At the time of his retirement in 2012, he was the president, CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Taiwan-based Oriental Union Chemical Corporation. He was elected to the WVU Chemical Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni in the Class of 2010. Kuo is survived by his wife, Eva, two sons and a daughter.
Royce Jackson Watts, faculty member and founder of the Watts Museum in the Statler College, passed away on May 29, 2020, at the age of 91. He was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Caroline Baker Watts. The first child of a coal miner, Watts was born in a company house in the mining community of Cassity in Randolph County, West Virginia, in 1929. Royce spent the majority of his childhood on his family farm in Tyler County. After graduating from high school in 1946, Watts enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in Italy immediately after WWII and then in the Korean War where received the Silver Star for gallantry in combat in 1951. He served in the Army Reserve for many years, retiring as a full colonel in 1989. Watts earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia University and joined the faculty of WVU as an instructor of accounting and economics in 1955. He worked at WVU for six decades, retiring as associate dean of the Statler College in 2017. In the mid-1980s, Watts spearheaded the establishment of a museum, now known as the Watts Museum, dedicated to the history of West Virginia’s mineral resources and related industries. Along with his wife Caroline, he made major contributions towards the museum’s growth and development and worked to ensure its longevity through the establishment of an endowment. “Meeting and knowing Mr. Watts is truly one the greatest blessings of my life,” said Danielle Petrak, curator of the Watts Museum. “I am honored to have worked for him and become his friend, and I am so thankful for his mentorship and guidance. The Mountain State is so lucky to have had you here for so many years, Mr. Watts — West Virginia and I will miss you so much.” His impact will always be felt and appreciated in the halls of the Statler College, and he will always be fondly remembered and honored by the WVU community. “I was blessed to have the services of Royce Watts as associate dean for administration for my formative years and beyond while serving as dean of the Statler College for nearly 20 years. Royce was truly an extremely devoted alum and employee of this University for nearly 60 years. He cherished WVU and was revered by so many, many people. He is sorely missed, but his contributions to WVU are numerous and indelible. As many people noted to me over the years, ‘Royce was a true soldier.’” — Eugene V. Cilento
WVU
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BENJAMIN M. STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES
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