While a student at the Universite de Poitiers, Don Watson discovered the French fascination with American Westerns. He also learned to appreciate the New Wave Cinema. He retired from teaching French and Latin at Hanover High School while he still had a sense of humor. In 1991, he started the Sister City Exchange program between Hanover and Joigny, France. He has an MA from the University of Chicago and an MLS from SUNY-Albany.