Yazoo has lost one of its most influential citizens with the passing of Herbert A. Scott Sr.
Scott, who passed away Saturday at age 93, lived a life of service.
He served his country in the U.S. Army. He served for many years as a dedicated educator. He faithfully served his beloved Beulah Land Baptist Church.
But Scott will perhaps be best remembered for the many ways he served his beloved hometown. From his years of service as president of the Fair and Civic League, to his efforts to establish the Oakes African American Cultural Center and establish subsidized housing for elderly and disabled residents, Scott leaves a lasting legacy in Yazoo.
Scott was born April 22, 1924 to Will and Lucy Scott. He was one of their eight children. He graduated from Yazoo City Training School No. 2 in 1941 and went on to Alcorn College, where he excelled in academics and sports.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army during his sophomore year. During this time he also met and married Virginia Bland, who was a fellow student at Alcorn. They had four children, Mary, Juanita, Brenda and Herbert Jr.
After being honorably discharged from the Army, Scott returned to Yazoo City and held several different jobs before discovering his true calling in education. After starting out teaching a refrigeration class, he landed a position teaching in Yazoo County at Colby School in 1955.
While he was teaching, Scott was also focused on continuing his own education. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Jackson State College and did post-graduate work at Mississippi College.
He was named principal of Campbellsville School in Holly Bluff in 1958, a position he held until 1972. He was then appointed federal programs director of Yazoo County Schools and served as an administrator in the county school system until he retired in 1987.
Scott’s commitment to community service was legendary.
At Beulah Land Baptist Chuch he served as head deacon, choir director, Sunday school teacher, and chair of the Steering Committee.
He was elected president of the Yazoo County Fair and Civic League in 1965, and used this organization to make a number of improvements in the community.
He served as a member of the State Welfare Board serving with former governors William Winter, Cliff Finch and William Waller Sr. and former Secretary of State Dick Molpus. He assisted with the desegregation of local schools in 1969-70, was a member of the group that organized the town meeting when President Jimmy Carter visited Yazoo City High School.
He served as president of the Yazoo Hometowners National Club, commander of the Whitney Woods American Legion Post 201, was a charter member of the 21 Club, served as dean of Yazoo Congress of Christian Education, was chairman of the Yazoo County Democratic Committee, chaired the successful effort for the bond issue that financed the construction of McCoy Elementary School, managed subsidized housing for the elderly and handicapped and oversaw the Oakes African American Cultural Center.
The Yazoo Herald named Scott “Citizen of the Year” in 1994 and the Yazoo Convention & Visitors Bureau named him “Man of the Year” in 2010.
Visitation will be Thursday at Beulah Land Baptist Church located at 505 Ridge Road from 6-8 p.m.
Funeral services are Friday at 11 a.m. at the L.T. Miller Community Center on Lamar Avenue. Burial will follow at Glenwood Cemetery.
Mr. Scott was preceded in death by his parents; seven siblings; his wife, Virginia Bland Scott; his daughter, Juanita Scott Washington; and a nephew, Milton Stewart.
Survivors include his daughters, Mary and Brenda; his son, Herbert Scott Jr.; daughter-in-law, Mary Lena Scott; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
In honor of his dedication to establishing and preserving the Oakes African American Cultural Center, the Scott family asks that memorials be made to the center via the Yazoo County Fair and Civic League.
