Walter Scott Jr.

Walter Scott Jr.
Born(1931-05-21)May 21, 1931
Omaha, Nebraska, US
DiedSeptember 25, 2021(2021-09-25) (aged 90)
Omaha, Nebraska, US
EducationColorado State University
Occupation(s)CEO, Kiewit Corporation
Spouse(s)
Carolyn Jane Falk
​
​
(m. 1952; died 1983)​

Suzanne Marshall
​
​
(m. 1987; died 2013)​
Children6

Walter Scott Jr. (May 21, 1931 – September 25, 2021)[1] was an American billionaire businessman, civil engineer, philanthropist, and CEO of Kiewit Corporation. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at US$4.2 billion.[2]

Education

He graduated from Colorado State University in 1953 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.[3]

Career

Scott was first elected to the Kiewit Corporation board in 1964. In 1979, he was elected president. When Peter Kiewit died later that same year, Scott was selected to succeed him as chairman.[citation needed]

He sat on the board of Berkshire Hathaway, and was a childhood friend of Warren Buffett.[2] He was also on the board of directors of Burlington Resources, Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Level 3 Communications Inc., MidAmerican Energy Holdings, RCN Corporation, Valmont Industries, and Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc, and was the chairman of the Open World Leadership Center at the Library of Congress.[4]

He was a director of the Joslyn Art Museum, Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation, and the Omaha Development Foundation. Nationally, he was a director of the Horatio Alger Association and the National Forest Association.[citation needed]

Scott was chairman of Level 3 Communications.[5]

Philanthropy

Scott consistently ranked among the wealthiest Americans. With his wife, Suzanne, he founded the public, non-profit Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation which has funded the Scott Atrium & Education Center at University of Nebraska Medical Center,[6] the Scott Technology Center[7] in Omaha, and The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.[8]

In June 2010, when Warren Buffett appealed to him to join the Giving Pledge, he partially accepted, stating that after his death his remaining estate will go into his eponymous foundation.[9]

In 2011, he committed $10 million to the construction of Engineering II, a $70 million, 122,000 square feet (11,300 m2) building which will house interdisciplinary energy, environment and health programs at Colorado State University.[citation needed]

In November 2016, it was announced Scott would be donating $53.3 million to Colorado State University School of Engineering, CSU's largest ever gift, and that the College of Engineering at CSU will be renamed the Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering, becoming the only named college of engineering in the state of Colorado.[10]

Collector

In 1996, Scott acquired the original sales document of the Louisiana Purchase for his private collection.[11]

Honors and awards

Scott became an Eagle Scout in 1946 and was a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.[8]

He received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1991, presented by Awards Council member Dennis Washington.[12] Scott was the Host of the 1998 Achievement Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Personal life

Scott's second wife, Suzanne (née Marshall; 1930-2013) had been a good friend of his late first wife, Carolyn Jane (née Falk; 1932-1983), but did not know Walter. They wed in 1987 at the Countryside Community Church. Suzanne Scott died in 2013, aged 83.[13]

Walter Scott died on September 25, 2021, at the age of 90.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Mr. Walter Scott, Jr". Open World Leadership Center. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Forbes profile: Walter Scott, Jr". Forbes. September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  3. ^ "Walter Scott Jr, Biography" (PDF). Colorado State University. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  4. ^ "Open World - Board of Trustees". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  5. ^ "Board of Directors". Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  6. ^ "UNMC Durham Research Center". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  7. ^ "Scott Data Center". Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  8. ^ a b Sendor, Julia (October 23, 2010). "Boy Scouts of America New major donors and jamboree dates announced". Raleigh Register-Herald. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  9. ^ "The Giving Pledge". Givingpledge.org. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  10. ^ Whaley, Monte. "Colorado State gets record $53 million donation from graduate Walter Scott Jr". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  11. ^ "Louisiana Purchase Manuscript Goes on Public Display". News.nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved July 29, 2010
  12. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  13. ^ "Suzanne Scott, 'intelligent and energetic philanthropist', dies at 83". Omaha.com. September 9, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "Former Kiewit CEO Walter Scott, Jr. dead at 90". KMTV. September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.