Dr. Earl P. Watkin was born Feb. 4, 1891 in Florence, a son of Henry and Ida Perry Watkin. He graduated from Camden High School in 1908. He married Mary Ellen Morgan, in 1921, in Massena, NY. Mary Ellen taught music in the Clinton schools. Their only child, Dr. Donald Morgan Watkin, was born in Ilion on June 17, 1922. The Watkins made their home, in Ilion, on John Street.

Earl P. Watkin graduated from Hamilton College in 1912. He earned his Master's Degree from Hamilton and Columbia University and his doctorate in education at New York University. Prior to World War I, he served as a teacher at Union Springs, North Troy and Clinton schools. During the war, he served in the Army Signal Corps. He returned to Clinton, NY after the war. He was Principal of Clinton High school and was the Superintendent of Schools in Waterford, NY for three years. In 1923, he was appointed Ilion Superintendent of Schools. He served as Ilion's Superintendent until 1954 and held the position for the longest term, over 30 years, of any Ilion School Superintendents.

Dr. Earl P. Watkin died unexpectedly at 1:30 pm, while at work in his Ilion school office, on February 17, 1954. He was 63 years old. At the time of his death, Dr. Watkin had just been designated recipient of the llion Good Citizenship Award and was to be honored at a dinner scheduled for the next Sunday night. At his death, he was president the New York State Teachers' Association and was a past President of the Schoolmaster's Association. He was also a member of the American Association of School Administrators, the Council of School Superintendents, and Hamilton College Alumni Association. He had served as Chairman of the Ilion-Frankfort Chapter of the American Red Cross

The Watkins' son, Donald Watkin, graduated from Ilion High school, in 1939, as Valedictorian.

Donald Watkin also attended Hamilton College and graduated in 1943. While at Hamilton, Donald joined his father's fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, made the Dean's List for four years and graduated with honors, in biology, in 1943. Don Watkin entered Harvard Medical School under the U.S. Navy's V-12 program. He earned his M.D. degree in 1946. He was a physician and medical researcher and administrator who managed the employee health division of the Federal Aviation Administration. Dr. Donald Watkin died in Washington, of complications of diabetes, on October 29, 2007.

See this article for even more detail about Dr.Watkin
Alumni Site Cover Story - February 2014