William L. Scott

William Lloyd Scott
United States Senator from Virginia
In office January 3, 1973 – January 1, 1979
Preceded by	William B. Spong, Jr.
Succeeded by	John Warner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 8th district
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Howard W. Smith
Succeeded by	Stanford E. Parris
Personal details
Born	(1915-07-01)July 1, 1915 Williamsburg, Virginia
Died	February 14, 1997(1997-02-14) (aged 81) Fairfax Station, Virginia
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican

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, State Delegate George Rawlings, 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 landslide victory in that year's presidential election. Nixon won Virginia by almost 38 points and carried all but one of the state's counties. Scott did not 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.

New Times Magazine reported in 1974 that he had been ranked "Dumbest Congressman" by a Ralph Nader-affiliated research group; Scott held a press conference to deny this judgment. A journalist who provided much of the research for the article, Harry Stein, has since admitted the article was a political hit piece and not based on any objective criteria.

References

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

• William L. Scott at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

• William L. Scott at Find a Grave

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Howard W. Smith	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 8th congressional district January 3, 1967 - January 3, 1973	Succeeded by Stanford E. Parris
United States Senate
Preceded by William B. Spong, Jr.	United States Senator (Class 2) from Virginia January 3, 1973 - January 1, 1979 Served alongside: Harry F. Byrd, Jr.	Succeeded by John W. Warner