Robert "Bob" E. Wiatt

He was born August 10, 1926, in Washington Court House, Ohio to Louise Victoria and Frank Edward Wiatt. His father, a World War I veteran and electrical engineer, moved the family to Cincinnati, Ohio when Bob was one year old.

He received his early education in Cincinnati and upon graduation from Withrow High School in 1944, enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of seventeen. Following his training as a signalman, he served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He served on three ships, including the U.S.S. Charles A. Keffer, the U.S.S. Commencement Bay, and the U.S.S. Thetus Bay. While serving on the Keffer, an ammunition ship, he helped provide military supplies during the invasion of Okinawa, where he was also wounded in the leg. After the war ended, he continued service until 1946. He was honorably discharged from the Navy, receiving several medals for his service.

Upon Bob’s return home, he entered the University of Cincinnati, where he was a member of several organizations, including Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity. He also played offensive tackle and defensive end on the University of Cincinnati varsity football team under well-known coach Sid Gillman, who would later coach the Houston Oilers. After his graduation from U.C., he studied law, and then decided that the FBI would be a rewarding and exciting career. He entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent in 1951 in Washington D.C.

It was in D.C. that Bob met the love of his life, Ann Cobb. They were married in 1953 in Ann’s hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. They later became the proud parents of Scot and Jeff.

During his almost thirty years of service in the FBI, Bob had assignments in D.C., Atlanta, New York City, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona, Cincinnati, Houston, before finally being stationed in Bryan in 1958. FBI Directors from J. Edgar Hoover to William Webster commended him on numerous occasions for his outstanding service to the Bureau and to the country. As a special agent, he helped to solve many high profile cases, and was an original member of the FBI’s first SWAT team. Some of the cases and experiences that Bob was involved later became documentaries and movies. He earned the nickname, “Mr. FBI”, by law enforcement agencies across the state for his service to Texas and the United States.

After his retirement from the FBI in 1980, Bob served as In-Take Attorney and Investigator for the Brazos County District Attorney’s office until 1982. He was then chosen to become Director of Security and Police at Texas A&M University, a position he held until 2004. Upon his retirement from A&M, and after fifty-three years in law enforcement, he was honored with Emeritus Status, conferred upon him by Texas A&M University’s Board of Regents.

He has been an active member of many non-profit organizations during his fifty-two years in Bryan/College Station. Bob was a Founding Board Member of the Brazos Valley Rape Crisis Center (now SARC), Scotty’s House, and the Women’s Federal Prison. He received numerous awards and honors for his service and contributions to the nation, state of Texas, and the B/CS community. He was named a “Legend of Aggieland” in 2000 for his dedication and service to Texas A&M.

Bob was loved and admired by his family, his many friends, and especially by those in law enforcement.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Scot.

Survivors include his wife, Ann; his son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Jennifer Wiatt, and three grandchildren, Josh, Jordan LeighAnn, and Jillian, all of The Woodlands, TX. Attending with the immediate family are his brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Betty Wiatt, and niece, Debbie Engelbrecht, all of Cincinnati, Ohio; brother-in-law and wife, Ed and Wanda Cobb from Huntsville, Alabama, and brother-in-law and wife, Boyd and Susan Cobb of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is also survived by many other dear in-laws, nieces and nephews.

Visitation is set for Saturday August 14, 2010, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan. A private burial is set for Sunday, August 15, 2010 at College Station Cemetery. A Memorial Service will be held at First Baptist Church, Bryan, on Sunday, August 15, 2010, at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, for those desiring, memorials may be made to Hospice Brazos Valley,

Scotty’s House, SARC, or First Baptist Church, Bryan, Texas.