Necrology of Toledo's Woodlawn Cemetery

William H. Scott

William H. Scott, a realtor by profession, helped to establish the second free public library in the region, served as president of the board of directors of The University of Toledo founded by his father, Jesup W. Scott, and was a trustee of Woodlawn Cemetery.

Scott was born in 1825 to Jesup W. and Susan (Wakeman) in Columbia, South Carolina. The family moved to the Maumee Valley in 1833 and settled in Toledo in 1844 where his father became the editor and part-owner of the Blade.

Scott was involved in real estate from the time his family moved to Toledo, but he also pursued literary studies and research throughout his life. Most of this research was directed toward public affairs and the improvement of the city. Along with his brother, F.J. Scott, he sought to improve the metropark system. In 1873, he wrote the bill requesting the establishment of a public library which was introduced in the State Legislature by T.P. Brown. Scott was also active in the suffragist movement and served as vice-president of the Toledo Woman's Suffrage Association from 1876-79.

Scott served on The University of Toledo Board of Directors for a number of years. His father donated, in 1872, 160 acres of farm land to be used as the site of a manual training school. The Toledo University of Arts & Trades opened in 1875 and offered architecture and painting courses as well as manual training. The school closed in 1878, but was reopened as a municipal institution in conjunction with the Toledo Board of Education in 1884. As a manual training school, it was one of the first of its kind in the United States, and schools looked to it as a model.

His affiliation with educational institutions also extended outside of Toledo. He served as a trustee of Ohio State University and was on the board of directors for both Wesleyan College and the Adrian Public Schools.

Scott married Mary A. Winams of Adrian, Michigan, in 1851. He died March 5, 1901.