He was a visionary

Norman Watson, whose ambition and hard work helped expand the Coast Community College District and provided Orange County with its premier public television station, has died. He was 92.

The district’s first chancellor and the founder of KOCE-TV, Watson died of natural causes Feb. 29 at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. Throughout the years, his name had become a common sight around the district: OCC’s former library, which opened in 1969, was known as the Norman E. Watson Library, and the campus named its new student services building after him in 2006.

Watson took the reins as chancellor in 1964 and held the position until 1984. To many, he was most famous as the originator of KOCE, which went on the air in November 1972 to offer telecourses for students. The station grew rapidly within the next few years to feature news programs and other locally themed shows.

Watson’s name has become synonymous with visionary to many in the district, and colleagues said his passion for education and use of multimedia bridged a gap others failed to see.

“I think he had a vision for education that was not confined to four walls,” Coast Community College District Trustee Jerry Patterson said. “To me, his great legacy to our district is bringing in distance learning. He brought education to the students wherever they might be.”

KOCE-TV reaches an estimated 400,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade a year along with college students through its televised courses, according to the station.

“Norm Watson, like many great leaders, was a visionary,” said KOCE-TV President Mel Rogers. “He had a lot of energy and a lot of progressive ideas. I was honored to know him.”

Watson was born Sept. 27, 1915 to a farming family in Tustin. Through his high school years at Tustin High School he showed a passion for drama and journalism. After a short stint at USC, Watson moved on to Pomona College where he earned his first degree. Watson was adamant about expanding students’ education. In his daily column, “Beyond the Gates,” Watson waxed politics, life, literature and social topics, anything outside the walls that concerned Pomona students. He later earned a doctorate from Stanford University.

Well into his twilight years, Watson’s fire for education never extinguished.

About a year ago, Rogers met Watson for lunch at a restaurant at South Coast Plaza. His body and mind were on two different planes, Rogers said.

“He could barely walk, it took him three or four minutes to walk from the parking lot to the restaurant. I was thinking, ‘What did he have to go through to even get dressed this morning?’” he said. “But he wanted to share his ideas. Even then he was looking forward to the future where television was used as a means other than to sell products. He was a believer that television had to educate students.”

In a 2006 interview, Watson spoke of the determination it took to turn vision to reality.

“When we started this station, we had limited funds, so we used second- and third-hand equipment,” Watson said. “Our professionals went out looking for hand-me-downs so we could go on the air.”

“Whenever a great visionary like this passes it’s a great loss to the community,” Rogers said. “Fortunately, KOCE-TV is healthy now and going forward and it would have never happened without him.”

Watson is survived by his daughter, Katherine Watson, an instructor at Coastline Community College. Services have not yet been scheduled.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com. JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.