American college professor best known for being the mentor of actor Burt Reynolds. Duncan was also a gifted Shakespearean actor, and performed frequently in the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford, Ontario.
Burt Reynolds attended Palm Beach Junior College while recuperating at home in Riviera Beach from football injuries he suffered playing for Florida State University. Duncan saw a spark of talent in Reynolds, and asked him to read for a play, Sutton Vane’s Outward Bound, which the college was presenting. Duncan cast Reynolds in the lead role. This eventually led to a scholarship for Reynolds at the Hyde Park Playhouse in New York City. Reynolds credited Duncan as the person who had the most influence in his life.
Years later, Reynolds cast his former teacher in a cameo role as the press secretary to the governor in the 1976 film Gator, which Reynolds starred in and directed.
Duncan went on to head the English/Communications Department at Palm Beach Junior College for more than thirty years, specializing in Milton and Shakespeare. He also helped develop the talents of actor Monte Markham and Terry Garrity, author of The Sensuous Woman, while they were students at Palm Beach Junior College.
In 1980 Duncan was named Distinguished Floridian of the Year, in 1985 given the National Faculty Award and then in 1987, the Exchange Club of Lake Worth’s Golden Deeds Award.
Palm Beach County honored the popular teacher by naming two buildings after him. In 1986 the Watson B. Duncan III Theater was built and dedicated to him. In 1991 his name was given to the new Watson B. Duncan Middle School in Palm Beach Gardens.
Watson B. Duncan III died of a heart attack on 21 February 1991 at age 76 in Palm Beach Regional Hospital.
Link to Wikipedia biography