John L. Scott ’41

Scotty died Feb. 28, 2012, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Known to his family as “a quintessential gentleman of the greatest generation,” he prepared at Exeter before majoring in SPIA at Princeton.

His Princeton forebears included his great-great-grandfather, Charles Hodge 1815; his father, Alexander Hodge Scott 1906; and his brother Edward Brooks Scott ’35. Scotty joined Elm Club, roomed with George Richardson, and was active in Whig-Clio and the Republican Club. After graduation, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Chicago.

After Officer Candidate School, he joined the 4th Infantry Division on D-Day. He commanded a landing craft at Utah Beach, later serving at Hürtgen Forest and participating in the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged as a captain in 1946.

Scotty began his career as finance director of Wayne, Mich. He also served as village manager of Park Forest, Ill.; town administrator of Greenwich, Conn.; and city manager of Schenectady, N.Y., and Santa Barbara. He was adjunct professor of public administration at Cal State, Long Beach.

He was involved in mountain hiking his entire life, in New Hampshire, Maine, New York, California, and Scotland.

Predeceased by his first wife, Eleanor Torell Scott, he is survived by his wife, Eleanor Wood Scott; his son, William ’77; daughter Elizabeth; five grandchildren; three stepdaughters; and eight step-grandchildren.