Joseph Scott (attorney)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Scott was a prominent British
-born attorney
and community leader in Los Angeles, California
. His service to the community was so varied and important that he earned the nickname
"Mr. Los Angeles."
, England
in 1867. His father, Joseph, was a Scottish Presbyterian
and his mother Mary (née Donnelly) was an Irish Catholic
, but young Joseph was raised Catholic. His father was tolerant and quiet, while his mother instilled a sense of respect and hard work in him.
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
.
in England because of his Catholicism, Scott emigrated to the United States
in 1889. He worked in a paper mill
in Massachusetts
before being appointed a professor of rhetoric
and English literature
at St. Bonaventure College
in Olean, New York
. While teaching at the university, he received his A.M. degree
in 1893. He moved to Los Angeles that year, and was admitted to the bar
. His studies at St. Bonaventure continued, and he was awarded an LL.D. in 1914.
He wed the former Bertha Roth in 1898. The couple had 11 children. His son A. A. Scott became a superior court
judge in Los Angeles County
, and his son George Scott was ordained a Catholic priest
.
. He was the organization's director from 1907 to 1918, and served as its president from 1910 to 1921. In 1902, he was named a member of the Charter Revision Committee which conducted the first significant reform of Los Angeles city government. The same year, he co-founded the Southern California
chapter of the Knights of Columbus
. He was elected to the Los Angeles City School District
in 1906 and served for 10 years—the first five as president.
In 1907, he founded the Southwest Museum
. He remained on its board of trustees until 1957.
In 1911, he helped defend union
members John J. and James B. McNamara after they were charged with bombing
the Los Angeles Times
building and causing the deaths of 21 people. The McNamaras eventually confessed: John went to prison for life, and James served a 10-year sentence. For daring to defend the brothers, Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis (a virulent opponent of labor unions) attacked Scott in the paper's pages for the next several years. In 1913, Scott sued Otis, the Times, and the Times-Mirror Company
for libel. After three separate trials, Scott won judgments of nearly $70,000 (about $1.3 million in 2007 dollars).
In 1915, Scott was appointed vice-president of the Panama-California Exposition
.
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
.
At the age of 62, he was elected president of the Los Angeles Community Chest. In 1932, he helped raised 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.
Scott momentarily rose to national prominence in 1945 in the Charlie Chaplin
-Joan Barry
paternity suit
. The 23-year-old actress and one-time Chaplin protégé Barry had had an affair with the actor in 1942. Barry became pregnant, and sued Chaplin for child support in 1943. Barry hired Scott to press her case in court. Scott convinced the court to rule a blood test inadmissible as evidence, even though the test had proven that Chaplin was not the father. At trial, Scott railed against the actor—who had a lengthy and public history of adulterous relationships and affairs with very young women. Among other things, Scott called Chaplin a "pestiferous, lecherous hound", "a little runt of a Svengali
", a "cheap Cockney cad", "a hoary headed old buzzard" and "a master mechanic in the art of seduction". Chaplin lost the suit.
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 Communist since he had urged the opening of a second front
in Europe
during World War II
, 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 smear 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
.
Death=
Scott saw Winn Dixie suffer a fall in the spring of 1957 which caused a cerebral hemorrhage. He was discharged ten days later. On July 16, he celebrated his 90th birthday with 1,000 well-wishers at the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore Hotel
. However, he remained in frail condition and continued to seek medical treatment throughout the remainder of the year.
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.
His body lay in state in Los Angeles City Hall for three days. Vice President Richard Nixon
issued official condolences. A requiem mass
was celebrated by his son, George, at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
, which was attended by 1,250 people. Cardinal McIntyre presided at the funeral, and Bishop
Joseph Thomas McGucken
gave the eulogy
. Among the church leaders attending the funeral were two Auxiliary Bishops of Los Angeles, the Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno
, the Bishop of San Diego
, and the retired Bishop of Colón, Panama
. Among the political leaders in attendance were Governor
Goodwin Knight
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
Marshall F. McComb, and Irish
Ambassador to the United States John Joseph Hearne. He was interred in Calvary Mausoleum
.
His Los Angeles Times obituary never mentioned the paper's vicious campaign against him in the 1910s and 1920s.
His extensive knowledge of Catholic theology
led to his appointment as a speaker at the International Eucharistic Congress
es in 1926, 1936, 1937 and 1938.
Pope Benedict XV
elevated him to a Knight Commander of St. Gregory
, with diplomatic star. Pope Pius XI
elevated him to a Knight of St. Gregory. He was appointed a Privy Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape by Pope Pius XII
.
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.
He received the Gold Medal from the American Irish Historical Society
in 1948, the organization's highest honor.
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.
. 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
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and community leader in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. His service to the community was so varied and important that he earned the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"Mr. Los Angeles."
Early life
Scott was born in Penrith, CumbriaPenrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1867. His father, Joseph, was a Scottish Presbyterian
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
and his mother Mary (née Donnelly) was an Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
, but young Joseph was raised Catholic. His father was tolerant and quiet, while his mother instilled a sense of respect and hard work in him.
He attended Ushaw College
Ushaw College
Ushaw College was a Roman Catholic seminary near Durham, England that closed in 2011. Ushaw was the principal seminary in the north of England for the training of Catholic priests.-History:...
, a seminary in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England, that trained Catholic priests and educated lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
boys. He attended and graduated from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Emigration to the U.S.
Feeling he would be discriminated againstAnti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
in England because of his Catholicism, Scott emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1889. He worked in a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
before being appointed a professor of rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
and English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at St. Bonaventure College
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
in Olean, New York
Olean, New York
Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern Tier region of New York.The city is...
. While teaching at the university, he received his A.M. degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1893. He moved to Los Angeles that year, and was admitted to the bar
State Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
. His studies at St. Bonaventure continued, and he was awarded an LL.D. in 1914.
He wed the former Bertha Roth in 1898. The couple had 11 children. His son A. A. Scott became a superior court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
judge in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, and his son George Scott was ordained a Catholic priest
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
.
Career in Los Angeles
While practicing law in Los Angeles, Scott became deeply involved in civic affairs. In 1888 he co-founded the Los Angeles Chamber of CommerceLos Angeles Chamber of Commerce
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is southern California's largest not-for-profit business federation, representing the interests of more than 235,000 businesses in L.A...
. He was the organization's director from 1907 to 1918, and served as its president from 1910 to 1921. In 1902, he was named a member of the Charter Revision Committee which conducted the first significant reform of Los Angeles city government. The same year, he co-founded the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
chapter of the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
. He was elected to the Los Angeles City School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
in 1906 and served for 10 years—the first five as president.
In 1907, he founded the Southwest Museum
Southwest Museum
The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Autry National Center. Its collections deal mainly with the American Indian...
. He remained on its board of trustees until 1957.
In 1911, he helped defend union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
members John J. and James B. McNamara after they were charged with bombing
Los Angeles Times bombing
The Los Angeles Times bombing was the purposeful dynamiting of the Los Angeles Times building in Los Angeles, California, on October 1, 1910 by a union member belonging to the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers. The explosion started a fire which killed 21 newspaper...
the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
building and causing the deaths of 21 people. The McNamaras eventually confessed: John went to prison for life, and James served a 10-year sentence. For daring to defend the brothers, Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis (a virulent opponent of labor unions) attacked Scott in the paper's pages for the next several years. In 1913, Scott sued Otis, the Times, and the Times-Mirror Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
for libel. After three separate trials, Scott won judgments of nearly $70,000 (about $1.3 million in 2007 dollars).
In 1915, Scott was appointed vice-president of the Panama-California Exposition
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915)
The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California between February 20 and December 4 in 1915. Its ostensible purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely seen in the city as an opportunity to showcase its recovery...
.
Scott was a lifelong Republican. Nevertheless, in 1917 President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
named him chairman of the Los Angeles draft exemption board, a post which he held for the duration of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Scott nominated Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
for reelection as president at the 1932 Republican National Convention
1932 Republican National Convention
The 1932 Republican National Convention was held at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, from June 14 to June 16, 1932. It renominated President Herbert Hoover and Vice President Charles Curtis for their respective positions....
.
At the age of 62, he was elected president of the Los Angeles Community Chest. In 1932, he helped raised 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.
Scott momentarily rose to national prominence in 1945 in the Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
-Joan Barry
Joan Barry
Joan Barry is an American politician. She was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1996 and was re-elected in 1998, and 2000. In 2004 she was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Congress losing the Democratic primary election to Russ Carnahan. Barry is also a Registered Nurse who has...
paternity suit
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
. The 23-year-old actress and one-time Chaplin protégé Barry had had an affair with the actor in 1942. Barry became pregnant, and sued Chaplin for child support in 1943. Barry hired Scott to press her case in court. Scott convinced the court to rule a blood test inadmissible as evidence, even though the test had proven that Chaplin was not the father. At trial, Scott railed against the actor—who had a lengthy and public history of adulterous relationships and affairs with very young women. Among other things, Scott called Chaplin a "pestiferous, lecherous hound", "a little runt of a Svengali
Svengali
Svengali is a fictional character of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. Svengali "would either fawn or bully and could be grossly impertinent. He had a kind of cynical humour that was more offensive than amusing and always laughed at the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place...
", a "cheap Cockney cad", "a hoary headed old buzzard" and "a master mechanic in the art of seduction". Chaplin lost the suit.
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 Communist since he had urged the opening of a second front
Front (military)
A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces. This can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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 smear 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Scott became a charter member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews
National Conference for Community and Justice
The National Conference for Community and Justice is a national, human relations, non-profit organization in the United States. Its mission is to fight bias, bigotry, and racism and promote understanding and respect through advocacy, conflict resolution, and education.The NCCJ was founded in 1927...
.
Death=
Scott saw Winn Dixie suffer a fall in the spring of 1957 which caused a cerebral hemorrhage. He was discharged ten days later. On July 16, he celebrated his 90th birthday with 1,000 well-wishers at the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore Hotel
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, originally named the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel of the Biltmore Hotels group, is a luxury hotel located on Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Upon its grand opening in 1923, the Los Angeles Biltmore was the largest hotel west of Chicago, Illinois in...
. However, he remained in frail condition and continued to seek medical treatment throughout the remainder of the year.
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
Uremia
Uremia or uraemia is a term used to loosely describe the illness accompanying kidney failure , in particular the nitrogenous waste products associated with the failure of this organ....
. His wife and six of his children survived him.
His body lay in state in Los Angeles City Hall for three days. Vice President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
issued official condolences. A requiem mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
was celebrated by his son, George, at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a former cathedral church building and parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
, which was attended by 1,250 people. Cardinal McIntyre presided at the funeral, and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Joseph Thomas McGucken
Joseph Thomas McGucken
Joseph Thomas McGucken was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sacramento and Archbishop of San Francisco .-Biography:...
gave the eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
. Among the church leaders attending the funeral were two Auxiliary Bishops of Los Angeles, the Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the western region of the United States, in the State of California. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
, the Bishop of San Diego
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the western region of the United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of San Diego and Imperial Counties in Southern California, with a Catholic population of 1,981,057...
, and the retired Bishop of Colón, Panama
Colón, Panama
Colón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
. Among the political leaders in attendance were Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Goodwin Knight
Goodwin Knight
Goodwin Jess Knight , known as "Goodie Knight", was a U.S. politician who was the 31st Governor of California from 1953 until 1959.-Early life:...
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
Marshall F. McComb, and Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Ambassador to the United States John Joseph Hearne. He was interred in Calvary Mausoleum
Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles
The Calvary Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery operated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese, located at 4201 Whittier Boulevard in Los Angeles, California...
.
His Los Angeles Times obituary never mentioned the paper's vicious campaign against him in the 1910s and 1920s.
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.His extensive knowledge of Catholic theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
led to his appointment as a speaker at the International Eucharistic Congress
International Eucharistic Congress
In the Roman Catholic church, a Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of clergy, religious, and laity to bear witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, which is an important Roman Catholic doctrine...
es in 1926, 1936, 1937 and 1938.
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
elevated him to a Knight Commander of St. Gregory
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
, with diplomatic star. Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
elevated him to a Knight of St. Gregory. He was appointed a Privy Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
.
Irish nationalism
Scott was a strong supporter of Irish nationalismIrish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
and a united Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. 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.
He received the Gold Medal from the American Irish Historical Society
American Irish Historical Society
The American Irish Historical Society is a historical society devoted to Irish American history, founded in Boston in 1897. The Society's 50 founding members included Theodore Roosevelt, who was part-Irish...
in 1948, the organization's highest honor.
Scott was a past president of Los Angeles Division 1 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
. At the time of his death, he was the chapter's oldest living member.
Honors and popular culture references
Scott was named an honorary dean of the Loyola Law SchoolLoyola Law School
Loyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920. Like Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law , it...
. 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
Carl Romanelli
Carl Romanelli is an American sculptor noted for his many outdoor sculptures of famous people. Romanelli was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is a seventh-generation sculptor, and his family is so well-known in Italy that a museum there is dedicated to his family's sculptural...
was commissioned to design a statue of Scott. When fund-raising for the effort fell short, Romanelli withdrew from the project. El Monte
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
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
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
.
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.