Emmett Jay Scott (February 13, 1873 – December 12, 1957) was a journalist, founding newspaper editor, government official and envoy, educator, and author. He was

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

's closest adviser at the

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

. He was responsible for maintaining Washington's nationwide "machine," with its close links to the black business leadership, white philanthropists, and Republican politicians from the local level to the White House. After Washington job he lost his Tuskegee connection but moved to Washington as Special Adviser of Black Affairs to Secretary of War

Newton D. Baker Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (December 3, 1871 – December 25, 1937) was an American lawyer, Georgist,Noble, Ransom E. "Henry George and the Progressive Movement." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1949, pp. 259–269. w ...

. Scott was the highest-ranking African-American in President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

's administration. After 1919, he was less and less visible in national affairs, with the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

taking the leadership role that Booker T. Washington had dominated.

Biography

Early life and education

Emmett Jay Scott was born in Houston, Texas in 1873, the son of former slaves Horace Lacy Scott and Emma Kyle. He began his studies at

Wiley College Wiley College is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the oldest predominantly black col ...

in 1887, but left 3 years later to pursue a career in journalism.

Journalism

Scott worked at the white-owned ''

The Houston Post The ''Houston Post'' was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper shut down, and its assets were purchased by the ''Houston Chronicle''. History Gail Borden Johnson founded the ''Houston P ...

'' as a janitor before working his way up to messenger and eventually reporter. He and friends knew that the city's African-American community was not receiving adequate coverage. Scott joined

Charles N. Love Charles Norton Love (died 1946) was a pioneering newspaper publisher and civil rights activist in Houston, Texas. Love became a leading civil rights activist and advocate for the African American community. The Love's paper, the ''Texas Freeman'' ...

and Jack Tibbitto in founding Houston's first African-American newspaper, the ''

Texas Freeman The ''Texas Freeman'' was a newspaper for African Americans established in 1893 in Houston, Texas. It was established by Charles N. Love along with his wife Lilla as well as Jack Tibbitto, and Emmett J. Scott who became its editor. It was the c ...

''. Scott became editor soon after the newspaper began circulation. His leadership expanded the ''Texas Freeman's'' presence in the Houston region, making it a prominent publication throughout Texas.

Tuskegee Institute activities

In Houston Scott promoted Booker T. Washington, who was developing the

. Washington was impressed and in 1897 hired Scott as his personal secretary, publicity chief and top advisor. Scott had a major role in management of the college, fundraising, and building Washington's national networks of black businessmen and white philanthropists. Indeed he was known as the “Architect of the Tuskegee Machine.” On the side Scott was a real estate investor with ties to the banking and insurance industries. He was a founder of the

National Negro Business League The National Negro Business League (NNBL) was an American organization founded in Boston in 1900 by Booker T. Washington to promote the interests of African-American businesses. The mission and main goal of the National Negro Business League was ...

in 1900 and served as Secretary of that organization from its establishment until 1922.Robert A. Hill (ed.), ''The Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers: Volume 1: 1826-August 1919.'' Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1983; pp. 173-174, fn. 1. In 1909 Scott was tapped by President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

as one of three American commissioners to

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Scott served as Secretary of the

from 1912 until 1917. Scott was also selected as Secretary of the International Congress of the Negro, a conference hosted by the Tuskegee Institute in 1912. Although he was heir apparent to take the helm as principal of Tuskegee Institute following Washington's death in 1915, the trustees passed over Scott to name

Robert Russa Moton Robert Russa Moton (August 26, 1867 – May 31, 1940) was an American educator and author. He served as an administrator at Hampton Institute. In 1915 he was named principal of Tuskegee Institute, after the death of founder Booker T. Washington, ...

, formerly of the

Hampton Institute Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...

, to the position.

Liberia

Scott reported as part of a group sent to the country from the U.S. government. He worked with

and took his place after Washington determined travel to Liberia would take him away from his other work for too long.

World War I activity

After the election of President

, as the United States moved closer to war, Scott was appointed as Special Assistant for Negro Affairs to the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

. Scott was the highest-ranking African-American in the administration. He selected William Henry Davis to serve as his own assistant and staff manager, helping to ensure blacks were treated fairly by the War Department. In June 1918 Scott organized a meeting of African-American journalists and business leaders to recommend a Black journalist to the U.S. War Department for reporting on the Negro troops in World War I.

Ralph Waldo Tyler Ralph Waldo Tyler (1860–1921) was an African-American journalist, war correspondent, and government official. He was the only accredited black foreign correspondent specifically reporting on African-American servicemen stationed in France durin ...

was selected to report on the Black troops at the front, and he became the first African-American foreign war correspondent. Tyler's reports were screened by the U.S. Committee on Public Information, then they were reviewed by Scott. He selected letters to be syndicated through the Black press. After the war, Scott wrote his own history of this period, ''Scott's Official History of the American Negro in the World War'' (1919) featuring a preface by Secretary Baker and foreword by General

John Pershing General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary ...

Later career

After leaving the War Department in 1919, Scott was named Secretary-Treasurer of

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

, a position he held until 1933, at which time the Treasurer position was split off. He quarreled with the president and was forced out in 1938, Scott was active in Republican politics as a liaison with the black community. He served as an advisor to the public relations staff for every Republican national convention from 1928 through 1948. He was a paid assistant publicity director of the Republican National Committee 1939 to 1942. During World War II, Scott was director of employment and personnel relations for Shipyard No. 4 of the Sun Ship Co. in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was a joined who served on many committees, such as the United States Liberian Commission. He also authored several books.

Morgan State College Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known ...

has a collection of his papers. His letters to various parties are a valuable historical resource cited in many works. Historian Eugene Berwanger argues that Scott was in line to succeed Booker T. Washington as the nation's leading African-American spokesman after Washington's death in 1915. Scott failed to take advantage of that opportunity and instead the NAACP filled that leadership role. Scott's visibility gradually faded out, apart from black educational circles. Berwanger suggests the cause was in large part because he insisted on adhering to Washington's accommodation philosophy and refused to support issues popular in the Black leadership community, especially national anti-lynching legislation. He lacked Washington's optimism and drive and broad vision, instead Scott demonstrated expertise in public relations when Washington called the tune, but was unable to take the initiate after Washington was gone.Eugene H. Berwanger, "Scott, Emmett Jay" in John A. Garraty ed., ''Encyclopedia of American Biography'' (1974) pp 974-975.

Footnotes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Emmett Jay 1873 births 1957 deaths People from Houston People from Tuskegee, Alabama Tuskegee University faculty African-American businesspeople Texas Republicans Alabama Republicans African Americans in World War I 20th-century African-American writers