Agnes Scott College - Silhouette Yearbook (Decatur, GA)

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Colonel (3eorge M. Scott - EORGE WASHINGTON SCOTT, the fourth child of John A r and Agnes Irvine Scott, was born in Alexandria, Pa., Feb- Oj ruary 22, 1829. There were three events in the earlier ■ part of his life which may be called crises : I. His conversion. — Being a child of the covenant and having Christian parents it is not surprising that in boyhood he united with the Presbyterian Church, the church of his father and mother. This meant with him the yielding of his heart and life to his Saviour. 2. His removal to Florida — He was not robust, and in early manhood he found the climate of Pennsylvania too rigorous for his constitution. Accordingly on October 4, 1850, he left his native State for the South. After spending a year in Quincy, Fla., he removed to Tallahassee where he made his home, and in 1852 entered a mercantile business as the head of the firm of Geo. W. Scott Co. 3. His marriage. — In 1554 he was happily married to Miss Rebekah Bucher, of Pennsylvania, who for forty-five years was a true and worthy helpmeet. After six years of peaceful, successful and useful life the war came. Although a Northern man, Mr. Scott unhesitatingly and unreservedly gave his heart and sympathies to the cause of his adopted State and the South, and entered the military service of the State of Florida ir 1861. He was an able and gallant officer, and bore a conspicuous ] the Florida campaigns. At the close of the war he returned to his home in Tallahassee, a himself earnestly to relieve the heavy losses entailed by the war- business career was checkered, but closed with brilliant success, business man he was noted for his carefulness, sagacity, energy, and integrity. He died October 3, 1903, after an illness of only two weeks, ar buried from the Decatur Presbyterian Church on October 5. Some of his leading characteristics as a man : Unusually fine judgment. He was endowed by nature with mind. His conclusions were always reached after the most th( investigation and consideration. When he had then reached a d he held with unswerving tenacity to his purpose. He was a broad man. There was nothing narrow or contrai small about him. He was a man of large ideas, with clear a vision, with deep and wide sympathies, and capable of forming and wise plans. He was resourceful. He always believed a thing which ou be done could be done. He was never deterred nor discouraged b

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COL. GEORGE W. SCOTT

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t was a very rare thing for him to face an obstacle he could not ■way of removing. His tact and skill in devising ways and accomplishing his purposes were remarkable. S A LE. DER OF MEN. Always kind, considerate, frank and he knew how to appeal to the best in them. Few men under- er than he how to approach men, how to disarm, win and lead lis he always did modestly, kindly, wisely and successfully. ; A M. x OF GREAT MODESTY. There w-ere not many who had round for pardonable pride as he. His career as a soldier, as )irited citizen and a business man, and the host of friends won dness and helping Iiand, all were enough to engender pride. iTy rarely alluded to any of these things, and then only in the lent and apologetic way to his most intimate friends. 5 ONE OF THE GENTLEST . XD KTXDEST OF MEX. His tones, r. his acts, were marked by a gentleness born of kindness. Xo is ever kinder, gentler, or more refined than he. 1 these traits Colonel Scott was a man of clear and firm convic- :ntle and kind he was, but no manlier man could be found. He e as steel, firm as a rock and courageous as a lion. be noted that the above characteristics mark the highest type lan, and such he was, always polite, courteous, considerate of ined, genial and agreeable. II. Colonel Scott as a Christian. lowing are some of his more prominent characteristics as a ' } ' ■ — His was no mock humility, but sincere and consistent, ut of a sense of sin and appreciation of the holiness of God. I softlv and humblv before his Maker. FailJi. — He was a Christian of clear, strong faith in Christ as his per- sonal Saviour, and also in the guiding hand of God and His overruling providence. Prayer. — Only those closest to him knew what a prominent place prayer held in his life. He had strong and abiding faith in prayer. He regularly and confidently committed himself, his interests and his phil- anthropic work to God in prayer. The Institute was the subject of his daily prayers. Catholic Spirit. — He was a devoted and loyal Presbyterian. He cor- dially believed the distinctive doctrines of the church. But his Chris- tianity was not bounded by the Presbyterian Church. His love and interest extended to Christians of every name, and he extended a helping hand to all. During a long and intimate acquaintance I never heard a criticism of any denomination fall from his lips. Christian Liberality. — He considered that all he possessed came from God, and that he was God ' s steward. Feeling thus, he gave not grudg- iugh- but cheerfully. In his own church he responded with great liber- ality to every cause. He gave freely, however, to different churches and many causes. The extent of his liberality no one knows. He did not let his left hand know what his right hand did. HI. Colonel S°cott as a Philanthropist. What he was as a man and what he was as a Christian made him what he was as a philanthropist. His philanthropy was the expression, the flowering out, of the man and the Christian. The wide range of his charity, and the amount of it, will never be known in this world, so unostentatious and reticent was he about it, but enough is known to indi- cate that the help he extended his fellow men, in every walk of life and in various sections of the country, displayed large philanthropy. The value