Jack Watson

After graduating from Vanderbilt University and Harvard Law School and spending three years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Jack Watson was ready for almost anything. He first met former President Jimmy Carter when he rode his motorcycle down to Plains, Georgia from Atlanta in 1966. Hitting it off immediately, Watson went on to be part of Carter’s administration while he was governor of Georgia, and during Carter’s presidential bid, he headed the Carter-Mondale Policy Planning Group. Following the election, Watson directed the transition team before playing many important roles in the Carter White House — including secretary to the cabinet, assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs, and the White House chief of staff. Since his time in the White House, Watson has worked as a corporate strategist, occasionally consulting with foregin leaders on various public policy and governmental issues.