TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
The Honorable Gregory K. Scott 1948–2021 Colorado Supreme Court Associate Justice, Law Professor
By Aaron Williams
Arbitration Panel of the National As- sociation of Securities Dealers. He established a nationwide practice repre- senting minority-owned and other small business firms. From 1980-1993, Scott taught law at the University of Denver 1980–93. His colleagues, students, and law associates described him as recognizing his intelli- gence, empathy, and ethics. Many of his students drew inspiration from having a law professor of color and considered him their mentor. One of Scott’s students, Patty Powell, now an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law on Scott, “He was such an intel- lectual giant. He loved the law. He was a good person, too. He gave those of us who were underrepresented immediate credibility that we were capable of learn- ing the law,” In 1992, Colorado Governor Roy Romer appointed Scott to the Colorado Supreme Court and was sworn in 1993. During his seven years on the court, Scott wrote precedent-setting opinions, including a concurrence in Evans v. Romer, a case prohibiting discrimina- tion based on sexual orientation. While a member of the court, Justice Scott participated and deliberated more than 1,000 cases. One of his more notable opinions as a state’s highest court mem- ber was Hill v. Thomas . The Colorado Supreme Court upheld a state law that created an eight-foot buffer zone between protesters and people entering Colorado abortion clinics. The opinion survived a challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court.
While serving on the court, Scott co- chaired a 1998 delegation to observe the presidential election in the African country of Gabon. Upon his retirement in 2000, Scott commented, “I can only hope that I have applied the law accord- ing to the facts before the court so as to leave it better than when I first arrived.” He left the court to become vice presi- dent and general counsel of Kaiser-Hill LLC; a private company contracted to clean up a former nuclear weapons facility in the Denver area. Later in life, Scott moved to Anderson, IN, where Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels ap- pointed him director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. He later held a position as assistant to the president of Ivy Tech Community College of Indi- ana. He is a former member of the IU McKinney Board of Visitors. Scott was a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., N.A.A.C.P., the Urban League, the Sam Cary Bar Association, and Wallace Temple A.M.E. Zion. Rut- gers University inducted Justice Scott into its Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1997, and the University of Denver Law School bestowed an honorary degree to him. Scott is an inductee to the Black in Colorado Hall of Fame. Brother Gregory Kellam Scott is preced- ed by sons Joshua and Elijah; parents, Robert L. and Althea (Kellam) Scott; parents-in-law, Rev. Isaac C. and Gertie E. Weatherly; brothers, Anthony and Timothy Scott. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn (née Weatherly) Scott; granddaughter, Madison Genaviee; and a host of relatives, friends, professional colleagues, and former students.
K nown for his brilliant legal mind and wearing of bow ties, the Honorable Gregory K. Scott was the first and only African-American to sit on the Supreme Court of Colorado. Justice Gregory K. Scott (Denver (CO) Alumni 1984) entered the Chapter Invisible on March 31, 2021, at his home in Anderson, IN. Colorado Governor Jared Polis released the following statement after the an- nouncement of Justice Scott’s passing. “Justice Scott was a trailblazer and a devoted public servant who was com- mitted to helping others succeed in the legal profession and beyond…contrib- uted a great deal to Colorado’s mission of inclusion and creating a Colorado for all.” Gregory Kellam Scott was born in San Francisco, CA, on July 30, 1948, and was a member of a military family, which included time spent living in Germany in his childhood. He gradu- ated from Rutgers University with a B.A. and M.A. degrees in 1970 and 1971, respectively. He later earned a J.D. degree from Indiana University- Bloomington (IU). He moved to Denver, CO in 1977 to work as a trial attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s regional office. He was also the lead attorney representing the NAACP and the Urban League in Colorado. He practiced federal securities law and served as a member of the National
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VIRTUAL 85 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING
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