Samuel W. Watts Jr., 92, longtime Phila. teacher and principal

Samuel W. Watts Jr., 92, formerly of Mount Airy, a teacher and principal in Philadelphia elementary schools for 36 years who established a summer camp in the Catskills, died of complications of pneumonia Monday, Nov. 7, at his home in Pensacola, Fla.

Mr. Watts taught in public schools in Philadelphia for more than a decade before becoming principal at William S. Stokley School in Strawberry Mansion in 1962. He was then principal at Thaddeus Stevens School in North Philadelphia from 1965 to 1968. From 1968 until retiring in 1984, he was principal of William Cullen Bryant School in Southwest Philadelphia.

As an educator, he used his skills as a philosopher, diplomat, and "someone who could always see the other side of the coin," his son, Gregory, said.

In 1960, Mr. Watts and his wife, Edna Dennis Watts, a reading specialist, formed a business partnership with teachers Adolphus and Jean Lewis.

The two couples founded Camp Mohawk in the Catskill Mountains in New York. According to a 1964 article in The Inquirer, the camp offered youngsters the opportunity to swim in a 75-foot pool, ride horseback, carve totem poles, swing softball bats, and sing folk songs.

For all its similarities to other camps, The Inquirer reported, Camp Mohawk was still unusual: It was "the only accredited private camp in the East operated primarily for Negro boys and girls."

The owners told The Inquirer they saw the need for the camp because black parents of means usually had difficulty placing their children in white private camps unless the parents happened to be celebrities. The two couples promoted the camp on winter weekends, heading north to New York and Boston and as far south as Savannah, Ga.

Mr. Watts and his wife were involved with the operation of the camp until the late 1960s.

The couple were active members of the Philadelphia Old and New Club and Jack and Jill of America, an African American organization that promotes social, cultural, and educational activities. They had been married for 50 years when she died in 2003.

Mr. Watts grew up in North Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School.

During World War II, he served in the Army in the Philippines.

After his discharge, he earned a bachelor's degree from Cheyney University. Later, while teaching, he earned a master's degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Watts was a member of Ye Olde Philadelphia Club, an African American men's organization. He enjoyed cooking, fishing, and the beaches in Atlantic City and Cape May.

In addition to his son, he is survived by daughters Stephne West, Trina Reddish, and Tracey; and four grandsons.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at Salem Baptist Church, 610 Summit Ave., Jenkintown.