James Martin Scott (June 11, 1938 – April 13, 2017) was an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...

and community affairs consultant. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, he was elected to the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

in November 1991 by a margin of a single vote, and served eleven terms, declining to seek re-election in 2013. He represented the city of

Falls Church Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Churc ...

and part of Fairfax County, including Merrifield; since at least 2002, the district was numbered the 53rd.

Early and family life

Born in

Galax, Virginia Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,720. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Galax with neighboring Carroll County for statisti ...

, in 1938, Scott graduated from the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...

, receiving a B.A. in 1960; and M.A. in 1965. Upon moving to northern Virginia to work for the

Inova Health System Inova Health System (stylized INOVA) is a not-for-profit health organization based in Falls Church, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. The system is a network of hospitals, outpatient services, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and h ...

, Scott attended graduate classes at

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

, and received a master's degree in public affairs in 1982. His charitable work included through his

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...

church, the Fairfax Partnership for Youth (board of directors), AHOME (Affordable Housing Opportunities Means Everyone), and the Fairfax Fair.

Career

Scott worked as community affairs consultant for

Inova Fairfax Hospital Inova Fairfax Medical Campus is the largest hospital campus in Northern Virginia and the flagship hospital of Inova Health System. Located in Woodburn in Fairfax County, Virginia, Inova Fairfax Hospital is one of the largest employers in the cou ...

. He served, part-time, on the

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sometimes abbreviated as FCBOS, is the governing body of Fairfax County; a county of over a million in Northern Virginia. The board has nine districts, and one at-large district which is always occupied by t ...

from 1972 to 1986. Other public service positions he held were on the

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is an independent, nonprofit association where area leaders address regional issues affecting the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. Metropolitan Washington Council ...

, Northern Virginia Planning District Commission,

Northern Virginia Transportation Commission The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is an independent agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia to promote and improve transportation. It covers the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Churc ...

(former chairman), Virginia Association of Counties (former President), and the

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Con ...

. In 2013 Scott announced that he would not run for reelection to the House of Delegates. He endorsed

Marcus Simon Marcus Bertram Simon (born July 1, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician from Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Simon is the member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 53rd district, which includes Falls Church and parts ...

, his former aide turned real estate lawyer, who was elected his successor.

Death

Jim Scott died on April 13, 2017, from complications of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

. He was 78 years old.

References

External links

* *
Project Vote Smart - Representative James Martin 'Jim' Scott (VA)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - James M. Scott
2005200320011999
campaign contributions 1938 births 2017 deaths Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates United Church of Christ members University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni George Mason University alumni People from Fairfax County, Virginia People from Galax, Virginia Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors 21st-century American politicians Deaths from dementia in Virginia Deaths from Alzheimer's disease 20th-century American politicians {{Virginia-delegate-stub