CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Citadel is remembering one of its former presidents who passed away over the weekend.

Lt. Gen. Claudius “Bud” Watts III, who served as the 17^th president of the military college, passed away on Sunday morning.

A native of Cheraw, South Carolina, Watts attended The Citadel on a full ROTC scholarship and would later become president of his alma mater in 1989.

“His leadership was immediately tested with Hurricane Hugo, which severely damaged key structures across campus, and forced the college to close for more than three weeks,” said current Citadel president, General Glenn M. Walters, USMC (Retired) ’79, in an email to the campus community. “His seven-year tenure was also marked by improvements to our programs and facilities, a once-in-a-decade academic reaccreditation, and recertification of individual areas of scholarship.”

Gen. Walters said that Watts pursued a third career in banking after leaving The Citadel in 1996, and served as Founding Director and, ultimately, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Carolina Financial Corporation.

Watts leaves behind his wife, Jane, their two children, Claudius “Bud” Watts IV (Lesa) and Patricia Heck (Timothy), and several grandchildren.