A personal tribute to Senator John Scott
August 16, 2023
“Beyond the lofty superlatives … he was my friend”
By Dr. Tom Mullikin
Senator John Scott, 69, who passed away Sunday, August 13, was my friend and colleague in the South Carolina Military Department where he served as commander of the Joint Services Detachment when I commanded the S.C. State Guard. He was a respected military leader, devoted public servant, and a favorite son of South Carolina who represented the very best in all of us. Much more than all of the lofty superlatives we might heap upon his name, he was my friend.
We met in the mid-1980’s where his kind and supportive words provided me with encouragement to do what was right for all communities. He then until the time of his passing always encouraged me and later my children with a kind and inspiring word. And he did so with seeming effortlessness.
Senator Scott’s legacy will be long-lasting and important. His leadership reminded me of the words of Winston Churchill who said: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Senator Scott was a thoughtful and caring leader whose actions represented a model that would serve all government well today – courteous, contemplative, and collaborative.
Though he and I had much in common in terms of our love and respect for family, community, and each other; we didn’t always agree politically. But that was okay, because our friendship was sound, pure, and unconditional. Through his actions Senator Scott breathed life into the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
Senator Scott’s work on this earth will forever bring to my mind the parable of Jesus who said (as we read in Matthew 25:21): Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
We love you and we will always miss you.
– Dr. Tom Mullikin – an acclaimed global expedition leader, university professor, attorney and chair of the gubernatorially established S.C. Floodwater Commission – is a former U.S. Army officer and retired commanding general of the S.C. State Guard.
