Tom Scott, Jr.
Tom attended Neville High School where he played center on the 1959 and 1961 championship football teams, something of which he was very proud. From there, he attended both Louisiana State University and Northeast Louisiana University. In 1964, he joined his family’s business, Scott Truck & Tractor Company. A natural-born salesman, he excelled in equipment sales before moving his young family to Shreveport, Louisiana where he assumed duties as the branch manager of the farm equipment store. He was instrumental in adding construction equipment to the company’s product portfolio and would later become president of Scott’s construction equipment division. After returning to Monroe, he fulfilled his dream of establishing a company devoted to providing equipment services exclusively to powerline contractors such as his long-time customer, Irby Construction. This company, Scott Powerline and Utility Equipment, commenced operations in March 2000 with one location, thirteen employees, and about 50 pieces of equipment. Under Tom’s leadership, Scott Powerline would become his crowning achievement, growing to be one of the leading utility equipment providers in North America. In recognition of his many professional accomplishments, the Monroe Chamber of Commerce honored him with the prestigious Kitty Degree Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in Business in 2019.
In addition to being a savvy businessman, Tom Scott was also known for his compassion and generosity. In the day of email and text messages, he carried on his mother’s practice of sending handwritten notes of congratulations, encouragement, and love to family, employees and friends. A recovering alcoholic for nearly 50 years, he was passionate about helping others struggling with addiction. He generously gave his time and financial resources to organizations dedicated to helping others stay sober. He often said helping others stay sober kept him sober. Another passion of his was helping others receive a higher education. In 2014, he began working with Delta Community College, Louisiana Tech University, and ULM to provide tuition assistance for students who do not qualify for various financial aid programs but still need help paying for their education. To date, over 500 students have completed their higher education thanks to his generous support.
Anyone who knew Tom Scott knew he was not all work and no play. He had an interesting sense of humor and loved to tell stories, where he relished in referring to himself as “Big Daddy.” A history buff, he read numerous books on a wide range of topics. His enthusiasm for history dovetailed nicely with the fact he was well-traveled, having visited places as far away as China, Japan, and South Africa to name a few. Tom was a long-time golf fan, which he played well into his early 70s, and encouraged both family and friends to enjoy the sport. It was on the golf course where he would sometimes enjoy a little wager with associates or friends, often invoking his own special set of rules to insure a “proper” outcome. He also enjoyed playing a variety of games – the recurring poker game with his buddies at the country club was often the highlight of his week.
Impact
The scholarship was established by Thomas H., Jr. and Sharon Scott. The donors recognize the importance of higher education to individuals and to further the economic growth of North Louisiana. Because of their desire to help individuals better their chances of success in life, and in order to create a valuable Louisiana workforce, the donors desire to establish a scholarship for deserving students.
The donors’ intent is to assist students who have a significant financial need and who might otherwise be unable to attend college without this scholarship. Students who are eligible for federal educational grants which do not have to be repaid, such as Federal Pell Grants, are not eligible for this scholarship, absent very extenuating circumstances. The Admissions Office shall have latitude to make such a decision, keeping in mind the original intent of this donation.
The donors recognize that while the TOPS program provides tuition payments for deserving students, there are many other costs associated with attending college which are not accounted for by the TOPS program, including university assessed fees, books and supplies, and general living expenses. The donors also recognize that there are many students who are very capable and high achieving students who are prepared for college coursework but whose test scores and GPAs do not rise to the level allowing them to receive full tuition paid scholarships from TOPS, the University, or any other source. Students, who have proven themselves as very capable, whether or not they qualify for scholarships from any other source, shall be the students that the donors wish to benefit from this scholarship.
Therefore, the purpose is to provide scholarships to assist with the cost of attendance for students not awarded Pell grants, so that they may immerse themselves in the higher education experience, achieve success in completing their degree and in turn, reinvest in future students.