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2022 SESSION

22106743D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 353
Offered March 3, 2022
Celebrating the life of Samuel J. Scott, Sr.
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Patrons-- Simonds and Price
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WHEREAS, Samuel J. Scott, Sr., of Hampton Roads, one of the first African American engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration who served during the height of the space race in the 1960s, died on March 5, 2021; and

WHEREAS, the child of immigrants from the British West Indies, Samuel Scott was born in Mobile, Alabama, and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he became a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Scott graduated from the aeronautical engineering program at the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and later continued his education at the Georgia Institute of Technology; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Scott pursued a long and successful career as a civilian research engineer with the United States Navy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and in the private sector; and

WHEREAS, in 1962, Samuel Scott joined NASA Langley Research Center and broke down barriers as one of the agency’s first four African American engineers; working alongside other prominent scientists and mathematicians, he played a vital role in the achievement of the Moon Landing and the success of the American space program; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Scott served as assistant director for structures at Langley, as chief engineer at the Newport News Redeployment and Housing Authority, and as a senior manager at Newport News Shipbuilding; and

WHEREAS, in later life, Samuel Scott focused on giving back to his community as a volunteer and a trusted mentor for people in need; he was an advocate for residents of public housing and became a volunteer with the AmeriCorps VISTA program, teaching in fatherhood and inmate recidivism programs; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Scott was a former president of the National Technical Association, the oldest organization for African American technical professionals in the United States, and he worked diligently to support STEM education in schools and create opportunities for African Americans in high-technology fields; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Scott will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his beloved wife of 54 years, Ann Carol; his children, Marcia, Joey, David, and Sean, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Samuel J. Scott, Sr., a trailblazing researcher who made many contributions to the American space program; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Samuel J. Scott, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.