Joseph Walter Scott

Seattle - Dr. Joseph Walter Scott of Seattle, Washington, passed to eternity on January 14, 2024. Born on May 7, 1935, in Hamtramck, Michigan, he was the eighth child and seventh son born to his parents, William Felton Scott and Bertha (Colbert) Scott, who would later welcome a son and a daughter into their family.

Joseph worked at various jobs beginning at the age of 9, including selling newspapers, shining shoes, collecting trash, and throwing steel on railroad cars. Those jobs and others shaped the direction of his life, as he knew from an early age that education was the path for him. He excelled in his studies at each level of education. Joseph graduated with honors from Hamtramck High School, where he was a superior athlete competing in multiple sports. He was later inducted into the Hamtramck High Hall of Honor in recognition of his athletic excellence. He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Central Michigan University, where he also earned minors in physical education and speech and played varsity football and competed on the debate team. He then earned both his master's degree and PhD in sociology from Indiana University.

Following college, Joseph served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged after obtaining a rank of Captain. He then began a 38-year career as a university professor and administrator. He was the first Black professor to serve at the University of Kentucky, and he also held full-time positions at the University of Toledo, University of Notre Dame, University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and University of Washington in Seattle. Additionally, he chaired several departments at a number of these universities and assumed leadership positions in several national professional organizations. Dr. Scott earned multiple honors as an educator, scholar, and author. Among these honors were being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship twice and receiving the Rockefeller Foundation scholarship so he could teach abroad. Dr. Scott, who spoke Spanish fluently, gave multiple lectures at universities in Mexico and South America. When Joseph settled in Seattle in 1985, he founded the American Ethnic Studies department at the University of Washington. He retired from university work in 2003, but he continued reading and writing, co-authoring the book, Little Ethiopia of the Pacific Northwest, which was published in 2013. He also wrote The Black Revolts, published in 1977, as well as over 50 articles published in professional journals.

Joseph's passions extended beyond education, research, and writing. The drive he had demonstrated as a high school and college athlete never faded. He continued to compete recreationally in handball, racquetball, and tennis, often playing against men twenty plus years younger than he. He later learned Kung Fu and became an avid walker and golfer. This exercise regimen continued well into his mid '80's. Another of Joseph's passions was travel. He traveled extensively throughout the world, and he took his children to many countries, including Nigeria, where they lived for a year. He also traveled with several of his siblings, cousins, and many friends. Sitting by a resort pool would not make a trip worthwhile for Joseph. He was always a learner and sociologist who turned vacations into opportunities to immerse himself in the culture of the land he was visiting. At home, he cooked dishes from foreign lands several times a week. Sometimes, his children would beg for just a hamburger or hotdog.

In 1959, Joseph married Sara Vázquez Velázquez and out of this union three children were born: Victor, of Tacoma, Washington; Valli (Dena), of South Bend, Indiana; and Velissa, of Chicago, Illinois.

Joseph met Dr. Nina L. Valerio in 1985, and they married in 1995. She would remain a dedicated wife and caregiver when Joseph's health issues left him unable to care for himself in the last three years of his life. She provided and oversaw every aspect of his care and left no stone unturned to make sure he continued to live a life filled with purpose, and to ensure that paid caregivers were professional and detail oriented when helping her care for her dear husband.

In addition to his beloved wife Nina and three children, Joseph leaves to mourn his sister Connie; a long list of nieces, nephews, cousins, many friends, former colleagues throughout the United States and around the world. Joseph's parents William and Bertha preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death are his seven brothers: William "Scotty," Warren, Daniel, Perry, Stanford "Dwight," Charles "Chuck," and Spencer and a sister Ann.

A celebration of Joseph's life will occur on March 23, 2024@10a in the St. Ignatius Chapel on the campus of Seattle University.

Memorial contributions may be made in Joseph's name to these charities: Rotary Club of the University District, Seattle; NPR; Multiple Myeloma Research; or Alzheimer's Research.