Foy W. "Bo" Watson (born October 21, 1960) is an American politician and a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Tennessee Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...

, representing the 11th district since 2007.Capitol biography
/ref>

Biography

Bo Watson was born on October 21, 1960 in

Chattanooga, TN Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. He is the son of Doris Juanita (Hoppe) and Foy W. Watson, Jr. He is married to Nicole (nee Osborne) Watson, an attorney at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP. He has one son, Grey Watson.

Education

Watson graduated in 1979 from the

Baylor School Baylor School, commonly called Baylor, is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Founded in 1893, the school currently sits atop a 690-acre campus and enrolls students in grades 6-12, including boarding stu ...

(a private school located in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

) where he was a state high school wrestling champion. He graduated magna cum laude from the

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UT-Chattanooga, UTC, or Chattanooga) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is one of four universities and two other affiliated institutions in the ...

in 1983 with a B.A. in biology and received his education and training in physical therapy at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

Center for Health Sciences in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, Tennessee.

Religion

Watson attends First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga.

Career

Watson has been a practicing physical therapist for over 30 years and he is currently the Director of Sports Medicine and Therapy Services at

HCA HCA may refer to: Courts * High Court of Australia, the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia Organizations Europe * Hall–Carpenter Archives, an archive of materials related to gay activism ...

-Parkridge Medical Center in

Election

Watson was first elected as a TN state senator in 2006 for the 105th

Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title ...

, having previously served as a state representative during the 104th General Assembly. He represents the 11th district, which encompasses part of Hamilton County. From July 2011 until January 2017, he was Speaker

pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a ''locum tenens'' (placeholder) in the absence of ...

in the Tennessee Senate.Chas Sisk, 'Bo Watson to be next speaker pro tempore', ''

The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...

'', April 15, 201

/ref> In 2018, Watson ran against Randall Price in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 11. On November 6, 2018, Watson defeated Price in the election.

Committees/Community Outreach

In January 2017 Watson became chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee. He is chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Pensions and Insurance, member of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and the Fiscal Review Committee. Watson is a past board member of the

Alumni Association and is a past member on the

Board of Trustees. He has been involved in the Junior Achievement program at Orchard Knob Elementary School and

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a Ch ...

. Watson is an

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and death ...

Volunteer and a past board member of the Wesley Center at UTC. He is also a past board member of the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

Relay for Life and a past board member of the

National Alumni Association.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Bo 1960 births Living people Republican Party Tennessee state senators Politicians from Chattanooga, Tennessee University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumni 21st-century American politicians American United Methodists