Joseph Scott (attorney)
Joseph Scott (July 16, 1867 - March 24, 1958) was a prominent
Early life
Scott was born in
He attended Ushaw College, a seminary in Durham, County Durham, England, that trained Catholic priests and educated lay boys. He attended and graduated from the University of London.[2]
Emigration to the U.S.
Feeling he would be
He wed the former Bertha Roth in 1898. The couple had 11 children.
Career in Los Angeles
While practicing law in Los Angeles, Scott became deeply involved in civic affairs. In 1888 he co-founded the
In 1907, he funded the
In 1911, he helped defend
In 1915, Scott was appointed vice-president of the
Scott was a lifelong Republican. Nevertheless, in 1917 President Woodrow Wilson named him chairman of the Los Angeles draft exemption board, a post which he held for the duration of World War I. Scott nominated Herbert Hoover for reelection as president at the 1932 Republican National Convention.[2][3][8][9]
At the age of 62, he was elected president of the Los Angeles Community Chest. In 1932, he helped raise a record $3.1 million (about $47.1 million in 2007 dollars) for the organization. He served for four years, and resigned in 1935. After his resignation, he was elected president of the California Conference of Social Work and served one two-year term.[2][3][8]
Scott momentarily rose to national prominence in 1945 in the
Veteran court attaches commented that Scott was the most aggressive lawyer they ever heard bellowing patriotism-above-the-facts in a court case. He claimed Chaplin was
, since the fate of the world hinged on Germany being defeated by Russia (the United States was not at war at the time Chaplin said this). Scott persisted in this claim although the United States did enter the war on the side of Russia. At least one law review deplored the course the court took in this case, likely leading to a change in the law, specifically the California Code of Civil Procedure, in 1965.After World War II, Scott became a charter member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.[2]
Death
Scott suffered a fall in the spring of 1957 which caused a
Scott collapsed and fell again in his law office on March 14, 1958, and was rushed to the hospital. He died on March 24, with his son George at his side. The cause of death was uremia. His wife and six of his children survived him.[2]
His body lay in state in Los Angeles City Hall for three days.
Catholic work
Scott was a dedicated and lifelong Catholic. He was an international commissioner for overseas work for the Knights of Columbus in 1918, and made nationwide speaking tours on behalf of the organization from the 1920s to the 1950s.[2]
His extensive knowledge of Catholic
Irish nationalism
Scott was a strong supporter of Irish nationalism and a united Ireland. He was a founding member of the American League for an Undivided Ireland in 1947, and served a term as its president. He also served as permanent chairman of the International Irish Congress.[2][3][9]
He received the Gold Medal from the American Irish Historical Society in 1948, the organization's highest honor.[9]
Scott was a past president of Los Angeles Division 1 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. At the time of his death, he was the chapter's oldest living member.[2]
Honors and popular culture references
Scott was named an honorary dean of the Loyola Law School.[2][3] The Joseph Scott Moot Court at Loyola Law School is named for him, as is the Joseph Scott Fellowship—which provides a research grant to a law school faculty member.
A bronze statue of Scott faces Grand Avenue in the front of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse building of the Los Angeles Superior Court. In 1962, noted Los Angeles sculptor Carl Romanelli was commissioned to design a statue of Scott. When fund-raising for the effort fell short, Romanelli withdrew from the project. El Monte sculptor Cataldo Papaleo stepped in, made some changes to Romanelli's design, and cast the piece. Romanelli refused to sign the work, although the statue's base still bears his name. The statue was unveiled in 1967.
Scott is a character in the 1992 film Chaplin, and was portrayed by actor James Woods.
Notes
- ^ a b c "Rites Conducted for Joseph Scott," Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1958.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Atty. Joseph Scott Succumbs at 90," Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1958.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Robinson, Lawyers of Los Angeles, 1959.
- ^ "Rich Archbold: Father Al and Father Bill celebrate 60 years as priests". Press Telegram. June 8, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ Fogelson, The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles 1850-1930, 1967.
- ^ Cross, History of the Labor Movement in California. 1974; Stimson, Rise of the Labor Movement in Los Angeles, 1955; Darrow, The Story of My Life, 1932.
- ^ McDougal, Privileged Son: Otis Chandler and the Rise and Fall of the L.A. Times Dynasty, 2002.
- ^ a b "Expanding Chests," Time, December 3, 1934.
- ^ a b c d "Joseph Scott, 90 Dies," The New York Times, March 25, 1958.
- ^ Quoted in "Fighting Folk," Time, January 8, 1945.
- ^ Robinson, Chaplin: His Life and Art, 1985.
- ^ "Body of Scott to Lie in State at City Hall," Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1958.
- ^ "Scott Paid Tribute by Notables," Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1958.
References
- "Atty. Joseph Scott Succumbs at 90." Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1958.
- "Body of Scott to Lie in State at City Hall." Los Angeles Times. March 27, 1958.
- Cross, Ira B. History of the Labor Movement in California. Reprint ed. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1974. ISBN 0-520-02646-2
- Darrow, Clarence. The Story of My Life. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932.
- "Expanding Chests." Time. December 3, 1934.
- "Fighting Folk." Time. January 8, 1945.
- Fogelson, Robert M. The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles 1850-1930. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1967.
- "Joseph Scott, 90 Dies." The New York Times. March 25, 1958.
- McDougal, Dennis. Privileged Son: Otis Chandler and the Rise and Fall of the L. A. Times Dynasty. Reprint ed. New York: Perseus Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81161-8
- Prendergast, Edward. "Joe Scott Story." Los Angeles Herald. May 8, 1952.
- "Rites Conducted for Joseph Scott." Los Angeles Times. March 30, 1958.
- Robinson, David. Chaplin: His Life and Art. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1985. ISBN 0-07-053181-1
- Robinson, W.W. Lawyers of Los Angeles: A History of the Los Angeles Bar Association and of the Bar of Los Angeles County. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Bar Association, 1959.
- "Scott Paid Tribute by Notables." Los Angeles Times. March 26, 1958.
- Stimson, Grace Heilman. Rise of the Labor Movement in Los Angeles. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1955.
External links
- Collection of Materials About Joseph Scott (Collection 776). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles. Accessed August 23, 2007.
- "Joseph Scott." Statue by Carl Romanelli/Cataldo Papaleo, 1967. Public Art In Los Angeles. No date. Accessed August 23, 2007.