Ronald L.Watts (10 March 1929 - 9 October 2015)

It is with great sadness that we mourn Ron’s death. Ron was for many years the heart and soul of the IACFS. He was one of the founding members of the Association in 1977, and president from 1992 to 1997.

After that period he remained involved in the management of IACFS through his active membership of the Executive Committee, providing us with sage advice and wisdom. He hardly ever missed the annual conference, always carefully taking notes about every development in the federations of the world and sharing his insights. We remember him for his leading scholarship on comparative federalism. We admire his global presence as an adviser to so many emerging federations on the architecture and implementation of the federal idea.

Above all, we remember Ron with great affection as the warm, kind and caring human being he was, a true friend to so many people around the world. We will miss him dearly.

Nico Steytler
President, IACFS