William L. Scott

Infobox_Senator | name=William Lloyd Scott
nationality=American


jr/sr=United States Senator
state=Virginia
party=Republican
term=January 3, 1973–January 1, 1979
preceded=William B. Spong, Jr.
succeeded= John Warner
date of birth=July 1, 1915
place of birth=Williamsburg, Virginia
date of death=February 15, 1997 (aged 82)
place of death=Fairfax Station, Virginia
spouse=
religion=

William Lloyd Scott (July 1, 1915 – February 14 1997) was a Republican politician from Virginia.

Scott was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He received a law degree from George Washington University, and was employed by the federal government 1934–1961, principally as trial attorney with Department of Justice. He engaged in private practice of law in Fairfax, Virginia, 1961–1966.

Scott won the Republican nomination for Virginia's 8th congressional district in 1966. He expected to face 18-term Democratic incumbent and House Rules Committee chairman Howard W. Smith in November, but Smith was defeated by a more liberal Democrat, George C. Rawlings, Jr., in the Democratic primary. Gaining support from more conservative Democrats, Scott handily defeated Rawlings in November. He was easily re-elected twice.

In 1972, he won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate and defeated freshman Democrat William B. Spong, Jr. in a close race, making him the first Republican Senator from Virginia since Reconstruction. Scott probably would not have won had it not been for Richard Nixon's massive landslide in that year's presidential election. Nixon won Virginia by almost 38 points and carried all but one of the state's counties. Scott didn't run for re-election in 1978 and resigned on January 1, 1979.

Scott was a resident of Fairfax Station, Virginia, but confined to a nursing center in Fairfax, Virginia for Alzheimer's Disease until his death. Interment was in Fairfax Memorial Park, Fairfax, Va.cite news
title= William Scott, 81, Congressman Symbolizing G.O.P. Rise in South
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00EEDE103FF934A25751C0A961958260
work=The New York Times
date=1997-02-17
accessdate=2008-05-09
quote=The cause was a chest infection. He also had Alzheimer's disease...His upset victory in 1972...made him the first Republican to win a Senate seat from Virginia since Reconstruction. ]

New Times Magazine reported in 1974 that he had been ranked "Dumbest Congressman" by a Ralph Nader-affiliated research group [ [http://www.pastpaper.com/List-MiscMagsNewsNewTimes.htm New Times issue list] ] [cite news
url=http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970217/02170049.htm
title=William L. Scott Dies; He Won Senate Upset in '72
publisher=Virginian-Pilot
date=February 17, 1997
accessdate=2006-08-21] ; Scott held a press conference to deny this judgment.

When asked if he was considering legal action, he replied that if he lost the suit, people might think that he really was dumb.

References

*"This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress"."

External links

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